BMW 5 Series debuts in Korea, includes pure EV option

BMW has introduced the new 5 Series in Korea, featuring the first-ever pure electric vehicle in the series, the i5. The market in Korea is the largest for 5 Series sales, surpassing the U.S. and Europe.

BMW introduced the new 5 Series for the Korean market Thursday quicker than any other country on the planet. [SARAH CHEA]

BMW introduced the new 5 Series for the Korean market Thursday, quicker than any other country.

The 5 Series, the first fully revamped version in six years, includes the i5, the first-ever pure EV under the series.

BMW chose Korea as the first country for the launch, which shows “how important the 5 Series is to our customers in Korea,” said Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design, during a media event held in Incheon Thursday.

Korea is the No. 1 market for BMW in terms of 5 Series sales beating the U.S. and European markets.

The new 5 Series introduced in Korea Thursday for the first time in the world [BMW KOREA]

The car itself got bigger with length upped by 95 millimeters (3.7 inches) and height by 35 millimeters compared to the previous version. Wheelbase, the distance between the front and back wheels, is increased by 20 millimeters.

The 5 Series also comes with the Iconic Glow kidney grille, with the LED lighting set for the safety of night driving. The grille was first applied in the latest 7 Series.

Powered by Samsung SDI’s 81.2 kilowatt hours lithium-ion battery, the i5 eDrive can run 384 kilometers (238 miles) per single charge, according to the Environment Ministry. It can generate up to 340 horsepower and 40.8 kilograms-meter of torque.

The i5 M60 xDrive, the most high-performance model in the lineup, comes with two electric motors that translate a maximum of 601 horsepower.

It only takes 3.8 seconds from zero to reach 100 kilometers per hour.

The new 5 Series introduced in Korea Thursday for the first time in the world [BMW KOREA]

All internal combustion engine models come with a 48-volt mild hybrid engine.

The 4-cylindrical gasoline-powered 520i boasts up to 190 horsepower and 31.6 kilograms-meter of torque, while the diesel-powered 523d generates up to 197 horsepower and 40.8 kilograms-meter of torque.

The sticker price of the new 5 Series starts from 68.8 million won ($51,000), with the i5 beginning from 93.9 million won.

BMW Korea on Thursday also announced that it will install 1,000 more EV chargers across Korea in a move to ramp up the country’s infrastructure for EVs for greener roads.

Under the Charging Next project, the chargers will be installed in various public places like discount marts to allow all EV owners, regardless they own BMWs or not, access to them.

BMW will work with LG Electronics for the development of the chargers and GS Energy for the distribution.

The German brand has been the frontrunner in improving the company’s environment and infrastructure for EVs.

BMW currently has around 920 chargers in the country, and plans to increase that to 1,100 by the end of this year.

All combined, the number of the company’s chargers will reach 2,100, around half of the chargers available offered by all auto brands.

“BMW will lead the journey to help Koreans to enjoy their EV life,” said Kim Nam-kyun, manager at BMW's charging station in Incheon.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]