Verdict
The BMW i5 costs RM79,200 less, yet brings an 83.9-kWh battery, a stated 627-km range and 205-kW DC charging. Its RM395 annual road tax is also RM440 lower than the Vellfire’s. The Toyota answers with seven seats, power sliding doors and ottoman captain’s chairs in the middle row, making it the clear people carrier. The i5 is the more focused five-seat executive car, with 335 hp and 430 Nm sent to the rear wheels; the Vellfire prioritises cabin capacity over outright pace.
Pick the BMW i5 if you want a five-seat EV with 627 km of stated range, 205-kW DC charging and lower annual road tax.
Pick the Toyota Vellfire if you need seven seats, powered sliding doors and power-adjustable ottoman captain’s chairs for middle-row passengers.
Key differences
- Price: BMW i5 RM368,800; Toyota Vellfire RM448,000.
- Annual road tax: BMW i5 RM395; Toyota Vellfire RM835.
- Seating: BMW i5 5 seats; Toyota Vellfire 7 seats.
- Boot space: BMW i5 490 litres; Toyota Vellfire 510 litres.
- Powertrain: BMW i5 335 hp/430 Nm electric motor; Toyota Vellfire 180 hp/235 Nm 2.5-litre petrol engine.
- Warranty: BMW i5 2 years vehicle warranty; Toyota Vellfire 5 years vehicle warranty.
i5
- 83.9-kWh battery with 627-km stated EV range
- 205-kW DC and 22-kW AC charging
- Standard 360-degree camera and auto parking
- Only five seats versus the Vellfire’s seven
- 490-litre boot is 20 litres smaller
- No power sliding doors or middle-row ottoman captain’s chairs
Vellfire
- Seven-seat cabin with power-adjustable ottoman captain’s chairs
- Power sliding doors with soft-close function
- Five-year vehicle warranty
- Costs RM79,200 more
- Annual road tax is RM440 higher
- Uses 9.1 L/100 km of petrol rather than providing EV driving
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM368,800✓ | RM448,000 |
| Body type | Sedan | MPV |
| Segment | Executive | Executive |
| Assembly | CKD | CBU |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM395✓ | RM835 |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 5th-generation BMW eDrive, 400V architecture | 16-valve DOHC Naturally Aspirated with Variable Valve Timing |
| Capacity | — | 2,494 cc |
| Horsepower | — | 180 hp |
| Torque | — | 235 Nm |
| Fuel | Electric | Petrol |
| Bore | — | 90 mm |
| Compression Ratio | — | 9.8 |
| Number of Motors | 1 | — |
| Motor Horsepower | 335 hp | — |
| Motor Torque | 430 Nm | — |
| Battery Capacity | 83.9 kWh | — |
| EV Range | 627 km | — |
| Charging Rate (AC) | 22 kW | — |
| Charging Rate (DC) | 205 kW | — |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Single Ratio Automatic | CVT Automatic |
| Transmission Name | — | 7-speed Super CVT-i with Sports Sequential Shiftmatic |
| Gears | — | 7 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | — | Toyota |
| Driveline | Rear Wheel Drive | Front Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 6 seconds | — |
| Rated Economy | — | 9.1 L/100 km |
| Top Speed | 193 km/h✓ | 170 km/h |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 5,060 mm | 5,005 mm |
| Width | 1,900 mm | 1,850 mm |
| Height | 1,515 mm | 1,950 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,995 mm | 3,000 mm |
| Weight | 2,205 kg | 2,105 kg |
| Fuel Tank | — | 60 litres |
| Doors | 4 | 5 |
| Seats | 5 | 7 |
| Boot Space | 490 litres | 510 litres✓ |
| Front Tyre | 245/40R20 | 225/55R19 |
| Rear Tyre | 275/35R20 | 225/55R19 |
| Spare Tyre | N/A, Tyre Repair Kit | Space Saver |
| Factory Tyres | Pirelli P Zero Elekt | Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 060 |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | Malaysia (CKD) | Japan (CBU) |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones | MacPherson Strut |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-link | Double Wishbone |
| Front Wheels | 20" Alloys | 19" Alloy |
| Rear Wheels | 20" Alloys | 19" Alloy |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Front Passenger, Front Side, Curtain | Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | — | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Electric for Rear Doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 5 Three Point | 7 Three-point |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available on outer rear seats | Available on Outer Middle Row Passenger Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes | Yes, TSS Pre-collision Braking (4-120 km/h) with Pedestrian Detection |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All Seats | All Seats |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | LED Projector with Adaptive High Beam | LED Projector with Auto High Beam |
| Taillamps | LED | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Front Foglamps | — | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | Driver and Passenger Powered Seats with Memory Settings | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Driver's Memory Function, Ventilated |
| Rear Seats | 60:40 Split Fold | Power Adjustable Ottoman Captain Middle Row Seat, 50:50 Fold-up Last Row |
| Front Air-con | Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | Fixed Panoramic Glass Roof | Fixed Panoramic Glass Roof, Rear |
| Power Sockets | 2x Wireless Charger, 2x USB-C ports front, 2x USB-C ports rear | 2 Front, 1 Console Box, 2 First Row, 2 Second Row |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights & Ambient Lighting | Map Lights and Ambient Lights |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Rear | 2 Front, 2 Middle Row, 2 Last Row |
| Sun Shade | Powered Rear Windscreen Sun Shade & Sunroof Shade, Manual Rear Door Window Shades | Powered Rear Sun Shades, Powered Panoramic Roof Shades |
| Audio | 14.9" Touchscreen BMW Live Cockpit Professional with Voice Control, Wireless Apple CarPlay, Wireless Android Auto and 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Sound System (655W) | 14" Display Audio with Touch Screen, Apple CarPlay & Android Auto Connectivity, 15-speaker JBL Sound System |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti Pinch | Four Windows, Driver's Side Auto Up and Down with Anti Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, Steering Assist and Curve Speed Reduction |
| Tiptronic | — | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Remote Control Activated with Contactless Operation | Powered boot with soft close function |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 Sensors | 4 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor | Yes, With 360 Degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | Yes | — |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | — |
| Power Door | — | Power Sliding with Soft-close Function, One-touch Auto Close, Anti-pinch |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Mileage Extended | Unlimited | — |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 2 years | 5 years✓ |
| Warranty Extended | 5 years | — |
| Warranty Notes | 8 Years/ 160,000 km Warranty for EV Battery | — |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used i5 & Vellfire for sale
i5 vs Vellfire FAQ
Is the BMW i5 or Toyota Vellfire better?
The BMW i5 is better for an electric executive sedan, with 627 km of stated range, 335 hp and lower road tax. The Toyota Vellfire is better when seven seats, powered sliding doors and middle-row ottoman seats are non-negotiable.
What is the price difference?
The Toyota Vellfire costs RM79,200 more than the BMW i5: RM448,000 versus RM368,800.
Which is better for carrying passengers?
The Toyota Vellfire is the clear choice. It has seven seats, a power-adjustable ottoman captain’s middle row, a fold-up last row and power sliding doors. The BMW i5 is a five-seat sedan with a 60:40 split-fold rear bench.