BMW Korea announced that the BMW New i5 was selected as the top-rated vehicle in the ‘2023 Automotive Safety Evaluation’ conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korean National Transportation Safety Authority.
The automotive safety evaluation, which has been conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport since 1999, assesses the safety of new vehicles sold in Korea based on a comprehensive evaluation of 21 detailed items across three main categories: collision safety, external pedestrian safety, and accident prevention safety. The safest vehicle types are publicly rated each year with their scores (out of 100), and as electric vehicle adoption increases in Korea, the proportion of electric vehicles evaluated has also gradually risen.
The BMW New i5 achieved an impressive total score of 93.6 out of 100, making it the safest vehicle for 2023 among the 10 models evaluated this year, surpassing both pure electric and internal combustion engine vehicles.
In the ‘collision safety’ category, which assesses passenger safety, it scored nearly perfect with 59.7 points (out of 60, 99.5%). It also scored 17.5 points (out of 20, 87.5%) in the ‘external pedestrian safety’ category, which evaluates human injury risks, and 16.4 points (out of 20, 82%) in the accident prevention safety category focusing on emergency braking and lane-keeping support systems, as well as fire safety for electric vehicle batteries.
Additionally, an awards ceremony was held during the ‘2023 Automotive Safety Evaluation Conference’ in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, on the 21st, where the BMW New i5 was recognized as the safest vehicle alongside other models that received high evaluation scores.
Dominik Schuster, Vice President for Vehicle Safety at BMW Group, who attended the awards ceremony, stated, “The BMW 5 Series has led the premium automotive market with innovative technology and unmatched driving performance over the past 50 years. We are very pleased to have proven BMW’s commitment to safety through the 2023 Automotive Safety Evaluation.”
Meanwhile, the BMW New i5, officially launched in Korea last October, is the first pure electric model in the new 5 Series lineup. It sets a new standard for sustainable mobility in the premium midsize segment by offering emission-free pure electric driving.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr