BMW will introduce the all-new 5 Series globally next year. What does the new car have under that scaled-down 7 Series exterior?
The 5 Series has been one of the best-sellers for BMW for a while and for good reason. There are few business saloons that looks aggressive, yet a tad understated while offering a choice between green and frugal turbo-diesels and out-and-out high-performance monsters of twin-turbo petrol V8s. Yet, between the efficiency numbers and the output figures is the area where you can get comfortable and sink into a personal space away from it all, and, there too, is where BMW have kept getting better.
At 4,935 mm long, the new 5 is long, yes, but it’s more about what it packs within the confines of those boundaries. There’s a new chassis underneath, and the total weight shed is up to 100 kg. The coefficient of drag is now 0.22. There are some evolutions in the spec as well. Adaptive LED headlamps arrive, sporting BMW Selective Beam for anti-dazzle characteristics. Driver support, connectivity and efficiency are key elements of focus and the new 5 packs a lot: stereo camera, ultrasound sensors, radar, lane recognition, corrective steering, and an Active Cruise Control (ACC) that can relieve the driver of accelerating, braking and steering from zero to 210 km/h.
The information in the console is now displayed on a 10.25-inch touchscreen centre display, while a new head-up display (HUD), 70 per cent larger than before, displays everything from traffic signs, radio stations, music tracks and navigation information, apart from the warnings from the various assistance systems. Passenger comfort is enhanced with added room, touch-controls for the seats, massage function, four-zone climate control with ionisation and discreet air fragrancing, plus further reduction to in-cabin sound levels thanks to acoustic glazing all add to the luxury inside.
BMW ConnectedDrive lets passengers sync machine and environment. Microsoft Exchange enables syncing one’s email, calendar and contacts, and edit them inside the car. Added smartphone integration with, for the first time, fully wireless Apple CarPlay as well as inductive charging and a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to 10 devices ensures modern connectivity.
At launch, the BMW 5 Series will be available with two petrol engines and one diesel engine, each with a choice of rear-wheel drive or xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive. Some four-cylinder units, petrol and diesel, carry on as is, while the six-cylinder units have been tweaked to bring them up to date. The integral active steering can now be teamed with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system.
Models at launch:
530i / 530i xDrive
1,998-cc, in-line four, turbo-petrol, 252 PS, 350 Nm, eight-speed auto
540i / 540i xDrive
2,998-cc, in-line six, turbo-petrol, 340 PS, 450 Nm, eight-speed auto
520d / 520d xDrive
1,995-cc, in-line four, turbo-diesel, 190 PS, 400 Nm, six-speed manual/eight-speed auto
Models post March 2017:
530d / 530d xDrive
2,993-cc, in-line six, turbo-diesel, 265 PS, 620 Nm, eight-speed auto
520d EfficientDynamics Edition
1,995-cc, in-line four, turbo-diesel, 190 PS, 400 Nm, eight-speed auto
530e iPerformance
1,998-cc, in-line four, turbo-petrol engine plus BMW eDrive electric motor (plug-in hybrid) 252 PS, 420 Nm, eight-speed auto
M550i xDrive
4,395-cc, V8, twin-turbo petrol, 462 PS, 650 Nm, eight-speed auto
Story: Jim Gorde
