Will BMW’s next i-badged model be a Model S-punching plug-in hybrid sedan?

By Ronan Glon April 15, 2015

A new report coming out of Germany finds that BMW is in the early stages of developing its next i-badged model. Tentatively dubbed i5, the car will take the form of a large, luxurious sedan powered by an advanced plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The i5 will ride on a modified version of the platform that underpins the long-wheelbase 5 Series that is currently sold exclusively in China. Its plug-in hybrid drivetrain will consist of a turbocharged gasoline-burning four-cylinder engine tuned to generate approximately 220 horsepower and a pair of electric motors rated at 150 and 272 horsepower, respectively. The two power sources will send an impressive total of 640 horsepower to all four wheels.

The electric motors will power the sedan by themselves at speeds of up to about 40 mph. Beyond that, the turbo four will kick in to deliver the drivetrain’s full output and charge the high-capacity battery pack if needed. With the battery fully charged, the i5 will be able to drive on electricity alone for up to 77 miles, far exceeding the range provided by the current crop of plug-ins.

Interestingly, German magazine Auto Bild reports that the i5 will borrow styling cues from the next-generation 7 Series that will be introduced later this year but its overall proportions will be closer to the 6 Series Gran Coupe. All told, it should look considerably sportier than the all-electric i3 and a little more conventional than the 22nd century-esque i8 plug-in hybrid (pictured).

If Auto Bild’s report is correct, the BMW i5 will be presented to the public at a major auto show in 2017 and it will go on sale in China and in North America about a year later. The sedan will carry a base price of approximately $100,000, but BMW nonetheless believes that it can sell about 30,000 examples a year.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

Cars

Business upfront, 31-inch TV in the back. BMW’s electric i7 is a screening room on wheels

Front three quarter view of the 2023 BMW i7.

The BMW 7 Series has been the venerable German automaker’s flagship for more than 40 years, but with its latest redesign, BMW is taking things in a new — and electrifying — direction.
The 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 (or i7 for short) is the first all-electric 7 Series in the model’s history. It’s positioned against electric luxury sedans like the Lucid Air, Tesla Model S, and the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan, a longtime BMW rival. But BMW took a different approach with its electric chariot of the affluent.
Because while those other EVs are based on clean-sheet designs, the i7 is just one version of a car that continues with combustion engines. It shares styling and tech — including an available fold-down, rear-seat widescreen monitor — with internal-combustion 7 Series models. So it offers a more traditional approach to luxury for EV buyers who don’t want to change anything about their cars except the method of propulsion.
Those buyers will also pay a slight premium. The i7 starts at $120,295, compared to $114,595 for the 760i xDrive, the first gasoline 7 Series model of the new generation. BMW also plans to offer a less expensive gasoline 740i for $94,295 sometime after launch. But when you’re spending this much on a new car, those aren’t huge differences.

Design and interior
The new 7 Series — and by extension the i7 — is sure to prove controversial due to BMW’s new front-end styling, which combines a massive grille sure to stoke internet memes and odd-looking two-tiered headlights. The effect is exaggerated by an available blacked-out front-end treatment, which makes it look like parts are missing.
Those styling elements carry over from gasoline 7 Series models to the i7, as does the hulk-like body shell, which is abnormally tall for a sedan, requiring steps at the hood and rear bumper to blend them with the thick center section of the body. The i7 also retains a long protruding hood, which is necessary to house the engine in gasoline 7 Series models, but is just an affectation here.
BMW claims the i7 will appeal to buyers who want a traditional luxury sedan first and an EV second. To be fair, the i7 is much more conventional-looking than the streamlined Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan and Lucid Air, or the grille-less Tesla Model S. But some of that work has been undone by BMW’s unorthodox design choices in other areas, which may not appeal to traditionalists either.
The i7 is sure to prove controversial due to BMW's new front-end styling.

Mobile

iPadOS 16: Everything we know about the iPad’s next update

iPad Pro on a desk with AirPods and an iPhone nearby.

At its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in early June 2022, Apple showcased its upcoming iPadOS 16 update, which is currently in Developer Beta. While the stable update for the iPad’s next operating system is slated to be released sometime in October, we already know all the features coming to your Apple tablet. iPadOS 16 isn’t a significant overhaul in terms of looks, but it brings some handy features. Here’s everything you need to know about the next generation of iPadOS.
Which iPad models will get iPadOS 16
All iPads powered by an A9 chip and above will receive iPadOS 16. This means the fourth-generation iPad, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 4 won’t get the update. On the other hand, the new iPadOS is supported by all iPad Pro tablets, including the original 10.5-inch and 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Here are all the iPads that will run iPadOS 16:

iPad Pro 12.9-inch: First, second, third, fourth, and fifth generations.
iPad Pro 11-inch: First, second, and third generations.
iPad Pro: 10.5-inch and 9.7-inch.
iPad: Fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth generations.
iPad mini: Fifth and sixth generations.
iPad Air: Third, fourth, and fifth generations.

Cars

The all-electric BMW i7 is a home theater on wheels

Front three quarter view of the 2023 BMW i7.

BMW is no stranger to electric vehicles. It launched the quirky i3 hatchback in 2014, and followed it up more recently with the i4 and iX. But now BMW is making its flagship vehicle electric.

The BMW 7 Series is the automaker’s biggest, most opulent sedan, and for the 2023 model year, it gets a redesign that includes a first-ever electric variant. The 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 (to use its full name) will start shipping to U.S. dealerships in November alongside gasoline 7 Series models (a hybrid version will arrive later as well).