最近从日本专利局流出了宝马i5专利图。从图片看，这是一款五门掀背车前脸依然为宝马标志性的双肾型前格栅，并运用了半封闭式处理，在发动机舱盖上部还设计有通风口。车身方面，该车前后门外拉手采用了一体式的设计，这或预示着新车将使用对开门的结构。另外值得注意的是它采用悬浮式车顶，B柱缺失，这一点与i3一样，表明该车将采用向后开启后门。该车最大变化是后门更长，这样乘客进出后排座椅将更为便利。目前还不清楚，i5将采用类似i3的混动加纯电动还是类似i8的只提供混动系统。考虑到专利图上只是在车辆右侧有一个油箱盖，量产版或许只是一辆电动车。

BMW i5 patent images come to life in speculative render

It’s a known fact BMW is hard at work preparing an expansion of the “i” by adding a third member and there is a distinct possibility it might have something in common with those leaked images from the Japanese patent bureau. Using as foundation those pics depicting a five-door hatchback, we have decided to bring the alleged i5 to life by virtually slapping on a coat of paint and giving the kidney grille the familiar blue accents.

 

Taking into account the patent pics were showing a car with conventional side mirrors rather than camera, it might have been a sign it was a production-intent vehicle rather than merely a concept. Also noticeable was the so-called “floating roofline” and the absence of a B-pillar in the same vein as the i3 from where the car inherited the suicide doors. The big difference was the rear doors were considerably longer, thus allowing passengers sitting in the back to get in and out of the car much easier.

 

It remains to be seen whether BMW will engineer the i5 to accommodate both a hybrid powertrain and an all-electric setup as it’s the case with the i3 or it will give it a hybrid-only setup in the same vein as the i8. Considering the car depicted in the patent images had only one fuel cap on the right side, the production model might be offered strictly as an EV.