Whenever a new car debuts, BMW or not, the best person to talk to about design is the one who designed it. For the 2024 5 Series Sedan, we did just that by chatting with Domagoj Dukec at Lake Como in Italy where the G60 was presented to members of the media a few days ago. As with most of the official images, we’re dealing with the i5, specifically the M Performance version known as the “M60.”

The man in charge of design calls it the “BMW itself” considering it has been around for so long, having been introduced in 1972 when the E12 hit the market. Speaking of the 5er’s early days, the German luxury brand wanted to bring back the spirit of the “shark nose” for this eighth-generation model. Interestingly, Dukec says the latest iteration looks “almost more Italian” than before in a bid to make the design “leaner and more elegant” compared to the “more German” G30 it replaces.

The design boss reiterated BMW’s strategy to share the design of a model across all its versions, therefore not making the ICE look different than the EV. Archrival Mercedes has a different strategy considering the 2024 E-Class is a significant departure from the EQE, which rides on a dedicated platform tailored exclusively to EVs. In the G60’s case, the 5 Series and i5 utilize the same CLAR architecture.

Dukec pointed out that the grille design of the M60 with the horizontal slats hints at how the kidneys will look on the future M5, codenamed G90. Let’s keep in mind that the 2024 X5 M and X6 M already have horizontal slats, and so does the new M2. Another aspect pointed out was the Fire red paint, which is basically a production version of the Forbidden Red used for the Concept 4 back in 2019.

Aside from the flush door handles and carbon mirror caps, the silhouette reveals a gently sloped trunk lid, ending with a subtle spoiler lip in the case of this M60. The prominent Hofmeister kink with an embossed “5” at the base of the C-pillar will be illuminated on the long-wheelbase 5 Series Sedan (“G68”) in China where the car hasn’t been revealed yet. BMW would like to light up the “5” in all markets but regulations don’t allow it in some regions.

Moving at the back, the G60 is slightly narrower than its predecessor to improve airflow and unlock extra range for the fully electric i5. The familiar L-shaped motif for the taillights is still present but executed in a more subtle manner. Dukec mentions the double lines echo the twin horizontal bars of the kidney grille and the dual daytime running lights.

We also get to learn about the discreet changes made to the dashboard layout to distance the 5 Series from the flagship 7 to offer a more driver-focused cockpit with a sporty vibe. Overall, the cabin follows the same “less is more” approach used by the BMWs with the iDrive 8 by going for a minimalist look with few traditional controls.