BMW i5 Long Wheelbase Launched in India: 669 km Range, Local Assembly, 99-Unit First Edition
Image: BMW India
BMW India has opened bookings for the i5 Long Wheelbase — and in doing so has quietly made a piece of local manufacturing history. The i5 LWB is now the first locally produced electric sedan from BMW India, assembled at the brand's Chennai facility. India is only the second country after China where this extended-wheelbase version of the i5 is manufactured, not imported.
The car itself is a significant step up in dimension over the standard i5. At 5,175 mm in length with a 3,105 mm wheelbase — 110 mm longer than the standard model — every extra millimetre of that extension goes into rear legroom. An 81.6 kWh battery powers a single rear-wheel-drive electric motor producing 264 hp, with an MIDC-certified range of 669 km. The i5 LWB also gets adaptive rear-axle air suspension as standard, which the regular i5 doesn't offer, and which will be appreciated on variable Indian roads.
To mark the launch, BMW India has created a First Edition limited strictly to 99 units, featuring Rear Seat Entertainment, BMW Individual Silver Bronze interior with Fineline open-pore wood, Carbon Black Metallic exterior with Titanium Bronze accents, and a First Edition laser engraving on the dashboard panel. Pricing for both the First Edition and the standard i5 LWB has not yet been confirmed — bookings are open but the number is outstanding.
Why It Matters
Local assembly at Chennai means the i5 LWB avoids the 60–100% import duty that makes fully imported luxury EVs prohibitively expensive in India. That duty difference is what makes the difference between a niche curiosity and something BMW India can actually sell in volume. The 99-unit First Edition will move quickly. The more important question is where BMW prices the standard i5 LWB once the launch dust settles — that number will determine whether this is a genuine market entry or a halo exercise.
Source: BMW India (official announcement, August 2026).
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