The BMW 550e xDrive is the newest addition to the 5 Series portfolio, a plug-in hybrid sedan that combines a scintillating inline-six engine with a compact electric powertrain, resulting in a well-rounded executive package that may appear visually reserved but is actually an M5-lite. You could also think of it as the hybrid successor to the combustion-only M550i. But first, the specs.

The 550e plucks the B58 engine from the BMW armoury, a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six that generates 313 hp on its own. Here, it’s paired with a 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery and an electric motor housed within the 8-speed gearbox, for a total output of 489 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to sprint from 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, the same as the smaller, lighter M240i xDrive. 

The G90 M5 utilizes the same concept, but with two more cylinders and a larger battery. Yet, even without an official M badge, the battery technology is all here, and throwing the 550e into Sport Mode showcases its duality in both sport and comfort. The performance is surprisingly sharp. The side bolsters automatically tighten and hunker you down into the seat, the thrilling roar of the signature BMW engine fires up and fills your ears, the synthetic electric noises whizz away like a sci-fi movie, and the stability control systems allow for controlled powerslides without fear, keeping you looking like a hero at the next corporate retreat. The drama and theatre of an M car is all present and accounted for.

Furthermore, the 550e pulls nearly as hard as the rear-driven M cars. Not M5 levels of thrust, that goes without saying, but activating Boost Mode for maximum acceleration is enough to keep yourself and your passengers entertained. But when you need to dial things back, the 550e suits that role even better. The engine shuts off, the battery tags in for its solo act, and you can cruise home in silence with a claimed 55 km of electric-only range (15 km more than the M5). We achieved 52 km on a full charge but the main benefit is the ability to choose between modes of propulsion. A full battery and fuel tank will allow you to travel approximately 750 km without stopping, and the regeneration system is remarkably efficient at recharging the battery.

The 5 Series competes with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and while it doesn’t quite hit the same levels of comfort, the BMW doesn’t handle like a boat either, and exhibits better on-road stability. The 550e is the driver’s car of the segment and is always willing to sneak around winding corners at naughty speeds. It doesn’t shy away from challenging roads either. Rather, it embraces them, whereas an E-Class or A6 would feel out of its element. It maintains a slick level of manoeuvrability and agility at low speeds as well thanks to rear-wheel steering and an adaptive suspension that knows when to play it safe and when to sharpen the pencil.

Visually, the 550e is difficult to distinguish from the i5 but that’s not a bad thing. The silhouette is clean and the kidney grills are the appropriate size. Leave it to the folks at the BMW public relations team to properly spec a press car – Macadamia Metallic on Smoke White might not sound particularly attractive on paper but in the flesh, it’s a dime.

The 5 Series, no matter if it’s an i5, 550e, or M5, is considerably upscale in most of the touchpoints, from the leather wrap of the steering wheel to the glass switches and rotary dial. The right-side steering wheel dial is the distillation of top quality – the click and movement as it scrolls in its gear is more satisfying than anything other than a Bentley or Rolls-Royce, and is ASMR-worthy.

Unfortunately, there are many plastic-laden areas and we have a few qualms with the cheap-feeling gear toggle and the low-rent window switches. Further, the memory seat controls on the door panel fall into the same ergonomically questionable category as their Mercedes counterparts. There are no grooves of any kind and the panel is mounted vertically and angled away, so from the driver’s seat, you never really know what button you’re pressing. Most of the time, it’s a guessing game to which memory seat number you are engaging.

Still, we love trickle-down economics and the 550e interior is essentially an 7 Series at 70% zoom. There’s subsequently enough pizzazz here to feel excited yet comfortable. We enjoy this display setup, with two widescreens attached under a single piece of glass. While not as visually dazzling as the screens in the Mercedes E-Class, this BMW’s is much more functional and sports a lower learning curve. It’s operated via both a touchscreen and a rotary dial with actual buttons, making it easy to navigate the menus even while focusing on the road. Having real toggles and dials on the steering wheel makes it more accessible than those fussy haptic touch sensors littered in every electric Mercedes and Volkswagen. This is user functionality done properly.

Speaking of which, the steering wheel is a substantial size and requires hands the size of Popeye’s to fully wrap around the rim, but aesthetically, it’s much better looking than the rather ordinary example in the i4 and the wonky two-spoke wheel in the iX. The purposeful holes on the bottom spoke are a nice finishing touch, as is the solo paddle shifter on the left-hand side, borrowed from the defunct i8 supercar and aptly labelled ‘Boost’. Toggling this activates Boost mode, unlocking maximum power output from the batteries for ten seconds to aid in overtaking or launch control maneuvers.

The way the fan vents are concealed right under the nose of the screen is clever but the directional fan toggles at the bottom of the center stack look out of place. The i5 sports a spacious and atmospheric cabin but it’s a bit tight on rear-seat legroom when sitting behind my six-foot self. The amount of headroom is generous throughout, and the large entry portals facilitate easy ingress and egress. It’s a shame the sunroof doesn’t open, and trunk space is annoyingly shallow with the batteries taking up a sizable chunk of real estate.

The BMW 550e xDrive cleverly blends both combustion and electric propulsion into a well-rounded and effective luxury sedan. What used to be a binary choice between fuels has been replaced by an efficient plug-in hybrid with a usable range and impressive performance, all without the prior drawbacks of coarse engines and underdeveloped batteries. Now, we have the best of both worlds, and the 550e reflects that.

Specifications:

Model: 2025 BMW 550e xDrive (G60)
Paint Type: Macadamia Metallic
Base Price: $84,200
Price as Tested: $102,250
Wheelbase(mm): 2,995
Length/Width/Height (mm): 5,060 / 1,900 / 1,515
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six (B58), 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery, electric motor
Horsepower: 489 combined hp
Torque: 516 combined lb-ft
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, AWD
Observed Electric-only Range: 52 km
Observed Fuel Consumption (L/100km): 11.2
Tires: 21-inch