A lot has been
spoken about the new 5 Series and its looks. Personally speaking, the car appears a little bland at first. With time one starts to appreciate its proportion and dimensions as the long, contoured bonnet spells luxury. The bulging kidney grille seems a bit overbearing, though it adheres to the international pedestrian safety norms. While the bangle-eyed headlamps have always been a hit with Indians, the gracefully sloping coupé-like roof-line coupled with the Hofmeister kink in the rear underline BMW’s design philosophy. The only external difference between the petrol powered 535i we tested in our earlier issue and this oil-burning 525d is the alloy wheel design. Overall, this is a far cry from its forebear’s sporty and dynamic design as the new model is intended to appear more subtle, now with an underlying intention of wooing a wider spectrum of luxury car-buyers, including some from the neighbouring Mercedes showroom.
Based on the newly developed and ultra-grand 7 Series, the new 5 boasts of the longest wheelbase in the segment. From the inside the 5 Series is a comfortable place to travel in, but not as big as I had imagined. The seats are large, but could do with a little more thigh support. Just like the exterior, the cabin design remains understated and is inspired by big brother 7 Series. The interior is inclined towards the driver and all the buttons are neatly stacked at the centre of the dashboard. The seven-inch on-board monitor for the
iDrive on this variant is small, but does its duty well all the same. Now the multifunction button on the steering wheel also serves to operate cruise control.
