Our new long-termer is here… And it’s a bit of an electric headturner. By John Challen.

BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro

P11d (BIK): £77,050 (2%) RANGE: 357 miles ON FLEET: 285 miles EFFICIENCY: 3.1mpkWh

We don’t tend to get a lot of snow on the south coast of England, but the recent arrival of the cold white stuff coincided with the day the latest Fleet World long-termer rocked up at Challen Towers. However, the adverse weather conditions (it’s all relative) did little to dampen my enthusiasm for the electrified 5 Series.

First things first, the styling of the i5 at the front is a bit Marmite – that much was made clear to me, during one of my first trips out in the car, by an acquaintance from a rival manufacturer. The biggest issue that people seem to have is with the ‘grille’, which these days houses a wealth of ADAS sensors, neatly hidden behind a cover. Not really much BMW could’ve done about that, but it has got recent previous with unconventional front ends, so maybe the opposition is understandable. Overall, I think the i5 looks great, especially in ‘Carbon Black’ metallic paint (a £900 option), which actually has hints of blue in it. Red calipers and 20-inch multi-spoke alloys complete the imposing exterior look.

Inside, the ‘Burgundy Veganza’ upholstery is a no-cost option, unlike the panoramic glass sunroof (£1,600), sun protection glass (£470), Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system (£1,250) M Carbon exterior styling (£1,750) and more. Chuck in the Technology Plus and Comfort packs and the total on the road cost for YC73 WNU, with options, is £89,075.

For that money, though, there is almost everything you can wish for. Heated seats and steering wheel, lumbar support, adaptive LED headlights, wireless charging and much much more. The M Sport touches are obvious but, at the same time, subtle – you can’t escape those calipers but the coloured stitching on the seat belts is a nice example of attention to detail.

There’ll be a lot more to say about the driving experience but, safe to say, the i5 is very capable, comfortable and confidence-inspiring.

John Challen