BMW builds cars worldwide in three different types of factories. The backbone of production is the wholly owned facilities that we all know. From Dingolfing to Spartanburg and from San Luis Potosi to Rosslyn, you can probably name them all. Then there are contract manufacturers where production is outsourced, such as the Z4, which is assembled by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.
Finally, there are partner factories that BMW operates in collaboration with a local company. The Kulim site in Malaysia has been in operation since 2008 and has just started producing electric vehicles. Lead the charge (pun intended) is the i5 eDrive40, which is offered with an M Sport Pro package as standard. The all-electric 5 Series Sedan is assembled from a completely disassembly kit (CKD).
By localizing the assembly, BMW Malaysia has significantly reduced the asking price compared to the previously imported i5 eDrive40 M Sport. Buyers will now pay around RM32,000 less than before, which is almost US$8,000 at current exchange rates. As a result, the large electric sedan now costs RM368,800 or about US$91,000.
Beyond the cheaper sticker price, the locally assembled cars swap the satin grille for black kidney grilles, while retaining the illuminated contour. The darker accents extend to the trunk lid spoiler and taillights. Another subtle change is the introduction of blue M Sport brake calipers, visible behind the 20-inch 939 M wheels.
Elsewhere, the panoramic glass roof makes a comeback on the Malaysian i5, but the ventilated seats do not. In addition, the crystal-like effects in some switchgear did not recur in the field-assembled version. BMW has also made changes to the interior, with dark carbon fiber paneling now adorning the dashboard. The Merino leather seats are always in atlas gray.
In addition to Malaysia, BMW also builds the electric sedan in China, where a long-wheelbase derivative (G68) is assembled at the Dadong plant. The company’s factory in Chennai in India is expected to assemble the stretched i5 for the local market. The globally available G60 is scheduled to receive a mid-cycle facelift in 2027, where it will receive an evolutionary design update along with the iDrive X interface inside.
