BMW 5 Series/i5

All-new executive car is joined for the first time by a 361-mile electric version On sale October Price from £49,850

- Darren Moss

AT FIRST GLANCE, the ever-evolving BMW 5 Series might not seem to have anything in common with famously typecast movie star Katharine Hepburn. However, both are serial winners: Hepburn holds the record for acting Oscar triumphs four), while the 5 Series is the most decorated car in the history of the What Car? Awards, having collected 25 trophies over the years. And that record of the latter means hopes for this new, eighth-generation 5 Series could hardly be higher.

There are no diesels this time, but in addition to launching the new 5 Series in regular petrol guise, BMW is introducing a fully electric sister model called the i5. It’s this that you can see in our pictures, but expect the 5 Series to look very similar, aside from an open front grille.

The i5 will face off against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz E@E, Polestar 2 and Porsche Taycan, as well as the upcoming Audi Aé e-tron, which is due to go on sale next year.

Two i5 variants will be offered, with the entry-level eDrive40 drawing power from an 81.2kWh battery that provides an official range of up to 361 miles. That's enough to take you from London to Sheffield and back without stopping, although the EQE and Polestar 2 can go farther still.

This entry-level i5 is no slouch; its single electric motor which drives the rear wheels) produces 335bhp, meaning it can crack the 0-62mph sprint in 6.0sec.

Want even more performance? Then the M60 xDrive is aimed at you; this gets a second electric motor to drive the front wheels, making it four-wheel drive and boosting its output dramatically to 593bhp.That cuts the 0-62mph sprint time to just 3.8sec but also reduces the car's range to 320 miles.