The wheel in thw new BMW 5 Series feels like the familiar soft-touch and chunky form of the one in the magnificent M5 of earlier. The new M5 packs a V8 petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain, but that’s another story. Here I sit, four cylinders and a blower longitudinally packaged ahead of me, sending drive through a ZF 8HP ‘box to a prop-shaft powering the rear axle and, from where I am sitting, it seems like the formula has been retained.
This 2.0-litre turbo-four petrol engine is now a 48-volt mild-hybrid with the higher-voltage battery mounted beneath the boot load floor. This means—and I suspect it does, since select markets now get the new “30i” spec engine—that this 5 should finally move from 252 hp to 258 hp like the rest of its siblings with a corresponding increase in torque from 350 Nm to 400 Nm.
Among the many changes in the interior, the new BMW 5 Series adopts the “My Modes” button which brings on various modes to the touchscreen curved centre display—including Relax, Expressive, Efficient, and Sport, among others—which lead to a corresponding change in “mood” with the more expressive ambient lighting, complete with crystalline elements in the dashboard, bits in the doors and speakers too, all making for a dazzling display to accentuate whatever drive mode is selected. Honestly, it feels like the balance has tipped more towards perceived luxury than actual essential 5 Series driving feel. But has it?
Slam the accelerator pedal and the 5 takes a second to catch its breath—aka turbo-lag—and then shoots forward with a raspy growl that almost sounds like a V6. Truth be told, it was unexpected and it cracked a grin. The surge was smooth but potent and relentless on that open stretch of closed road and I got up to 175 km/h before having to swap foot-force for the left pedal. While I only got four cracks at it, including eight tight U-turns, it was evident that the aforementioned balance has indeed tilted.
This new BMW 5 Series will cost a lot more than before, expected to be some change below Rs 80 lakh; eclipsing the price tag of what is surely a retiring 6 Series GT. It does offer a lot more than before and even surpasses the 6GT in terms of size, luxury, equipment, and overall feel and experience. This isn’t about bridging a gap. It feels like a whole new bridge across segments. It’s not as pampering as a 7, but it sure feels like a lot more than the 6GT, let alone the 5, save for the boot volume, of course. The 5 has grown. Considerably. But what matters is that it also seems to have grown up.
Also read: BMW XM Review
