BMW Malaysia has launched the locally assembled BMW i5 eDrive40 M Sport Pro at RM368,800, or RM392,300 with the BMW Service & Repair Inclusive package.
It is the brand’s first CKD EV in Malaysia and also BMW Group’s first locally assembled EV in the Asia-Pacific region.
The first thing buyers are likely to notice is the lower price. The earlier fully imported i5 eDrive40 M Sport arrived in Malaysia in November 2023, and the CKD car undercuts that original CBU launch price.
The exact gap depends on which earlier reference point is used, because the CBU car was first launched at RM419,800 and was later listed at RM400,800.
The hardware is broadly the same as before. The rear-mounted electric motor still delivers 250kW and 430Nm, enough for 0-100kph in 6.0 seconds and a top speed of 193kph.
The battery remains an 83.9kWh NMC unit, while charging is rated at up to 22kW AC and 205kW DC. BMW quotes 4 hours 15 minutes for a 0-100% AC charge and 34 minutes for a 10-80% DC charge.
Range is where BMW has made gains. The company said silicon carbide converter upgrades, along with revised battery and thermal management systems including adaptive recuperation and an intelligent heat pump, help raise WLTP range to as much as 627km.
That is up from 582km for the earlier version. On paper, then, the local i5 is both cheaper and able to travel farther.
M Sport Pro adds several styling and trim changes. Outside, there is a gloss black Shadowline Iconic Glow grille, Shadowline tail lamps, a gloss black rear spoiler, dark blue M Sport brake callipers and 20-inch 939M wheels.
Inside, BMW has restored the panoramic glass roof and added carbon-fibre-accent trim, an M leather steering wheel, M seat belts and an anthracite headliner. The curved display remains, pairing a 12.3-inch instrument panel with a 14.9-inch central touchscreen.
BMW has also kept the kit list strong. Standard items include Adaptive Suspension Professional with Integral Active Steering, a 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system, four-zone climate control, powered sport seats, Parking Assistant Plus and Driving Assistant Professional. Boot space is 490 litres.
More broadly, the launch shows BMW is no longer relying only on imported EVs for Malaysia. It is now building one here, and that matters as the brand moves deeper into its next electric phase.
BMW’s wider product pipeline already points that way, with the Neue Klasse-based electric BMW i3 in final winter testing ahead of its design debut, bringing Gen6 eDrive, an 800-volt architecture and a much heavier software layer into the next chapter of the brand’s EV story.
