The BMW 5 Series starts from £51,000 (but that's still much cheaper than the i5)

Back in May, BMW launched the eighth generation of its 5 Series saloon, starting with the all-electric i5. It’s now opened the order books for the hybrid versions, but it’s not all rainbows and cupcakes because they are... quite dear.

Probably reflecting the cost of keeping the lights on in 2023, pricing for the cheapest 5 Series starts has broken through the £50k mark at £51,000. That’s for the mild hybrid 520i, which pairs a four-cylinder petrol engine to a 48V electric motor to improve fuel economy.

The four-pot 530e plug-in hybrid – giving 56 miles of pure electric range – will cost £59,455, while the straight six 550e (and its 62 miles of range) will set you back £76,550 from the get-go.

The 5 Series – in all guises – features copious amounts of fake cow interior, flashy futuristic displays and its veritable suite of driver assist tech. It’s only available in three trims, namely the standard M Sport or upgraded M Sport Pro, plus the range-topping i5 M60 xDrive which will cost you £97,745. Y'know, before the options list carries it over into six figures.

Compare and contrast to the entry-level i5 (the car that you may have noticed is pictured above, in lieu of any ICE or PHEV snaps) which is priced from £74,105.

There’s plenty for BMW to try and justify such wallet-draining amounts. From a panoramic glass roof, towing capability and choice of premium audio systems, to larger alloys, in-car gaming and smartphone integration with remote updates.

BMW tells us it plans to extend electrification smarts to the Touring variant from spring next year. Perhaps wisely, there's no early word on prices for that just yet...