It's probably an unintended Diwali gift for petrolheads in the country, but German luxury carmaker BMW has revealed the all-new BMW 5 Series. The 5 Series sold 7.6 million units in its first six generations, and now, in its latest avatar, the sedan doesn't look too different from its earlier versions. But the car has been re-engineered for a better performance, increased efficiency, and comes packed with new technology as well.
The new 5 Series also comes loaded to the gills with safety and driver assistance features. A stereo camera comes as standard which teams up with optional radar and ultrasound sensors to monitor the area around the car. It also features lane change/lane keeping assistants with active side collision protection. Simply put, the system monitors lane markings and applies corrective steering inputs, should the car deviate from its path.
The cabin features 4-zone climate control with air-fragrancing, more storage options, comfort seats with massage function and importantly, increased rear seat legroom – a weak point of the current iteration. It also comes equipped with the new-generation iDrive system, which, in the top spec model, displays navigation, telephone and entertainment features, plus vehicle functions, on a 10.25-inch screen. The system can be operated using the iDrive Controller, by voice commands, gestures, or by touching the display controls directly.
Additionally, the full-colour BMW Head-Up Display (HUD) has a display surface that is 70 per cent larger than before and displays traffic signs, telephone listings, radio stations, music tracks, navigation instructions and warnings from the assistance systems. Yep, you also get the optional remote parking system that lets the driver manoeuvre the car into tight parking spots remotely through the key.
All the engines in the 5 Series Sedan line-up are from the modular BMW EfficientDynamics family of powerplants. Here’s a quick look at their specifications:
530i
2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 252PS of power and a peak torque of 350Nm. Transmission is through an 8-speed ‘Steptronic’ automatic gearbox and the car executes the 0-100kmph run in a claimed 6.2 seconds.
540i
3.0-litre, 6-cylinder petrol engine that makes 340PS of power and 450Nm of torque. It too uses an 8-speed automatic gearbox, with a claimed 0-100kmph time of 5.1 seconds.
520d
2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine that makes 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual gearbox or an 8-speed automatic unit, which help the car complete the 0-100kmph sprint in 7.7 and 7.6 seconds respectively.
530d
3.0-litre, 6-cylinder diesel engine producing 265PS of power and a colossal 620Nm of torque! This engine is only offered with an 8-speed automatic gearbox, with a claimed 0-100kmph time of 5.7 seconds.
530e iPerformance
2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine that works together with a plug-in hybrid electric drive system. Power and torque figures come in at 252PS and 420Nm respectively with transmission handled by an 8-speed autobox. This variant has a pure electric range of 45km and claimed 0-100kmph time of 6.2 seconds.
520d EfficientDynamics Edition
2.0-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox with power and torque figures of 190PS and 400Nm respectively. 0-100kmph time = 7.5 seconds.
M550i xDrive
4.4-litre, V8 that delivers 462PS of power and 650Nm of torque. With the output channelled through the 8-speed automatic gearbox, 0-100kmph comes up in 4 seconds flat! Yep, that’s better acceleration than the current M5 (4.3 seconds)!
BMW will begin European sales of the new 5 Series in February 2017 with the 530i, 540i and 520d available at launch. The other engine variants will be offered from March the same year. BMW India may launch the sedan in the second half of 2017, so keep an eye out for discounts on the outgoing model.
Source: CarDekho.com
