India, Sept. 25 -- Luxury sedans are alive and well in India. Petrol or diesel, regular or long wheelbase, there's plenty to choose from. Go electric, though, and the choice dwindles. Every luxury maker is bringing in electric SUVs, which leaves the BMW i5 in a class of one. Like the i7, it has no competition, and at Rs.79.60 lakh it neatly fills the gap between the iX1 and the flagship.

It's a big car. The wheelbase has been stretched 110mm to 3,105mm and the length is 5,175mm, which makes it larger than the E-Class in every dimension. Only an 'I' on the grille, 20-inch alloys and the green number plate give it away. Those wheels suit it better than the 18s on the 530Li, but the styling remains polarising, with more cuts and creases tha...