In 2025, BMW’s xDrive40, a new model with two motors and all-wheel drive, will be added to the i5 line of electric cars. There are two electric motors in the new xDrive40 trim, one for each side. Together, they make 435 lb-ft of torque and 389 horsepower. The new model will go on sale in March for a starting price of $71,095. We talked about this in our first-drive review of the new BMW i5 electric luxury car: moving from the strong all-wheel-drive M60 to the properly powered rear-drive eDrive40 is like going from decaf to regular espresso. The new xDrive40 version of the i5 will come out in 2025, bridging the gap between price and speed. To put it another way, the xDrive40 is like the pour-over coffee for the BMW i5. Like the 593-hp M60 xDrive, the xDrive40 has two electric motors, one for the front axle and one for the back. The most power they can produce is 389 horsepower and 435 pound-feet of torque. This is a lot more power than the 335-hp eDrive40, which only has one electric motor driving the back wheels. BMW says the xDrive40 can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 130 mph. The new model and the two types that are already on the market will both have an 84.3-kWh battery pack under the floor. No range estimate has been given by BMW for the xDrive40 yet, but it should be closer to the M60’s 256-mile estimate than the eDrive40’s 295-mile estimate. Still, we have yet to have a chance to see how well the i5 uses gas on a real highway at 75 mph. The new model should start being made in March, and it will be on sale soon after. The base price for the xDrive40 will be $71,095.
