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As with new brands, and I do actually mean new Chinese brands, they always try and impress hard with their party tech tricks. I suppose it's the sensible thing to do, since most electric vehicles feel the same when it comes to driving them. Sad, but quite often true.
The latest cars from a new brand - IM - hailing from China are set to make a difference. IM Motors is a joint venture between three giants: SAIC Motors, Alibaba Group and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. The latter is a state-backed technology investment group that provides technological development and investment backing.
Didn't IM Motors just launch two cars?
IM makes its debut here in Singapore with two models - the IM6, which is a full-electric coupe SUV that we recently tested, and the IM5 that you see here on this lovely website.
The IM5 competes against cars like the BYD Seal, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 as well as the Tesla Model 3. But given its dimensions and design language, the new electric car resembles more like the Porsche Taycan.
Measuring over 4.9m long, the IM5 is longer than its 3 competitors. That said, it doesn't feel huge when I stand next to it, since I’m driving a sedan that's just a tad smaller, and it does have a sleek silhouette that's obviously missing on the bulkier IM6.
Seems like you prefer the IM5 then?
In that sense, you could say the IM5 has a grander posture than its peers, more so given its wide stance and black on black exterior colour tone (black body with black rims). A waste, if you ask me, because I reckon the car would have looked a lot fresher and livelier with a lighter tone sheet metal.
Still, it's undeniable that the sheet metal is clean, doing without unnecessary lines and dents. Nothing seems out of place here, even with the rather thick black element spanning the width of the car's rear that seems unwarranted.
Hence the light interior, dude!
Perhaps the reason for the black exterior is to allow IM Motors to spec the car in its light-coloured cabin. With its black-cream combination, it's almost like looking at an extra grande pint of Guinness.
Enter the car and you get that easy-going yet enlivening feeling. The first thing that catches your eye is the huge 26.3-inch screen that stretches across more than half of the dashboard. The right side that's the section behind the steering wheel acts as a driver's display.
The left screen, on the other hand, is touch-sensitive and displays built-in apps. It's crisp and reactive, responding quickly to your finger inputs and displaying your smartphone's use of wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
There's also a portrait 10.5-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash where you control all of the car's functions and infotainment. Annoyingly, this is also where you'll have to tick an agreement term every time you start the car. Every time.
As a result, there are very few buttons in here. The air-con vents have to be adjusted digitally, as do your side mirrors, which would usually be annoying. But I don't dislike the system. It's sharp, responsive and user-friendly. Most importantly, it has pre-set options for your air-con vents - a feature that's highly useful for someone who likes to meddle with the vents often.
There's also a suite of semi-autonomous systems, including the parking ones. However, the one that's worth mentioning is a feature that allows the car to remember your tracks and reverse up to 100m in the exact way that you just drove in on. Highly useful for getting out of a tight alley or a dead end.
Whatever the case, once you're out of a difficult situation and onto the open road, the IM5 - equipped with a single motor at the rear - is capable of 109kW and 450Nm of torque. The figure allows the car to get from nought to 100km/h in 10 seconds. However, in real-world driving conditions, the IM5 feels a lot quicker and composed thanks to its vast torque and agility.
Handling corners with this car is obviously a lot more confidence-inspiring than the IM6. Despite its length, the car you see here on this page manages to hold its own well around sweeping bends and tight turns, doing without any forms of nervousness and corrections. It's neither going to give you sweaty palms nor make your hair stand, but it's stimulating enough to tingle your senses.
Once you're done man-handling the car and daddy duties call, the car will serve its function for all board with its comfortable ride. On this front, the IM5 does extremely well soaking up tarmac imperfections and broken road surfaces - a common occurrence on our roads, no thanks to the constant road works that are happening nowadays.
Also happening nowadays is the sprout of new car brands here in Singapore. Sure, I could be bias since I'm more of a sedan kind of guy, but the truth is when it comes to an electric car, range and comfort are the two main features buyers should look out for.
And for these, the IM5 does not disappoint. The class-leading 75kWh battery gives the car 440km of range when it's fully juiced up (the car had 413km when I first collected it), which should suffice for at least a week or more. Plus, it has comfort levels and specs that are high enough to compete with luxury carmakers today.
At a time when Chinese carmakers are constantly trying sensibly to impress hard with their party tech tricks, it's a good thing IM Motors has something more valuable to offer.
