BMW to reward Korean customers with more EV, charging options

BMW will introduce two more plug-in hybrid 5 Series models in the Korean market next year.

The new 5 Series debuted in Korea on Oct. 5 for the first time anywhere in the world [BMW KOREA]

The country where BMW sells the most 5 Series in the world?

It is neither the brand's home turf of Germany nor the United States.

Korea is the answer.

BMW now aims to compensate Korean customers by maximizing their satisfaction with more EV and charging options.

BMW said Monday it will introduce two more plug-in hybrid 5 Series models in the Korean market next year on top of the five powertrains it currently offers. The latest 5 Series is available in gasoline, diesel and pure electric versions.

The 5 Series made its debut in Korea on Oct. 5, quicker than in any other country. It is the first fully revamped version in six years.

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.

A total of 21,000 5 Series were sold in Korea last year, making Korea the country with the biggest market for the lineup.

BMW new 5 Series [SARAH CHEA]

BMW world premiered the partially revamped 5 Series in Korea in May 2020, for the first time in any country. Last year, it opened an M Performance Garage, a service center dedicated to its high-performance M models, in central Seoul, for the first time. The same center is now available in other countries as well.

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.

Seats, dashboards, door panels and steering wheel are made of vegan materials for the first time in any 5 Series in its history.

The new 5 Series debuted in Korea on Oct. 5 for the first time in the world [BMW KOREA]

Powered by Samsung SDI’s 81.2 kilowatt hours lithium-ion battery, the i5 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 and can run 361 kilometers per single charge.

BMW Korea has also been the front-runner in improving the company’s environment and infrastructure for EVs.

It recently said 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 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]