Expanded BMW i lineup rumored - ecomento.com

Reports about a new BMW i model have been flying around for months now. He also said emphatically that it will be as unique in its own way as the i3 and i8 and would not be based on any existing car in the BMW lineup. But now, BMW CEO Harald Krueger tells Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that there is room in the middle of the i sub-brand’s current two model lineup “from the number point of view. Unlike the i3 and i8, which are their own unique products independent of the rest of the BMW range, the i5 will be based on the 5 Series sedan and will use a more powerful version of the i8 plug-in hybrid powertrain. According to one report, the i5 will have 78 miles of electric only range at speeds up to 36 miles per hour. If the rumors are true, the i5 will be arriving sooner rather than later and will out-perform the BMW M5. Wonder what Harald Krueger and Klaus Froehlich talk about in BMW’s executive lunchroom. Their statements about the future of BMW’s “i” division could not be more different. High horsepower in an i car is inconsistent with BMW’s clear strategy to be efficient with low weight and generally low horsepower, taking advantage of the electric motors’ instant torque. Source: ecomento.com