Coming soon: new BMW 5 Series

If SUVs and crossovers really have killed off the traditional saloon car BMW seems to have missed the memo. For which the brand’s more traditional fans will breathe a sigh of relief, given this all-new 5 Series very much respects the long traditions of previous generations. While also reinventing them for the modern, electrified age.
True, BMW’s approach to rebranding its heritage for the modern world haven’t always gone down well. Some of it has even been considered downright confrontational, whether that be ads with electric BMWs teasing their combustion-engined forebears for being smoky old relics or the giant grilles on cars like the iX and latest 7 Series.

Happily, things seem to be calming down somewhat and this all-new 5 Series sticks with the familiar four-door saloon shape, while sharpening it with a very modern look inspired by the aforementioned iX and 7 Series. Like the latter it will launch with both hybrid ICE power, or as a pure electric i5 alternative. Technology is of course a big theme as well, some of it like the widescreen curved display and Interaction Bar reactive lighting familiar from other BMWs. But there’s some new stuff as well, including in-car gaming via what’s called the AirConsole.
To begin with the 5 Series will launch with petrol-engined 520i with what’s known in the jargon as mild hybrid support to boost the effectiveness of the stop/start system, plus two versions of the i5 pure electric. Plug-in hybrid versions to fill the gap between the two will arrive later.

Of the electric versions the single-motor, rear-wheel drive i5 eDrive40 reimagines BMW’s traditional handling model for electric drive, its 340 horsepower on a par with the larger six-cylinder petrol engines in previous generations of 5 Series. Like its i4 little brother this is joined by an M60 xDrive performance version, with two motors, all-wheel drive and a combined 601 horsepower. Both feature a new Boost function, a tug on the left shift paddle dialling up maximum power and acceleration for overtaking manoeuvres and other situations where you may need to suddenly switch from mooching to monstering. Both electric models have well over 300 miles of range by official stats, the eDrive40 claiming a best-case operating radius of 362 miles.
Usually at this point we’d be talking about the nuts-and-bolts engineering like the chassis and suspension and how it will ensure this 5 Series drives as well as the seven generations that have come before. Rest assured that’s all been done, four-wheel steering now among the options. But there is some interesting new stuff as well, the AirConsole in-car gaming among it. Although the i5 models boast impressively fast charging times if you do find yourself with time to kill while plugged in and stationary this means driver and passenger can connect their smartphones to the central display via a QR code and then use them as controllers for what BMW promises will be a ‘continuously expanding’ portfolio of games of all genres.

In another on-trend development BMW is also offering a ‘Verganza’ leather-free interior as standard – for more on this topic see our recent Sustainability Newsletter. In terms of trim levels, meanwhile, BMW is continuing its policy of simplifying the range to just a few, well-equipped options in keeping with modern buying habits, with M Sport now the base level and M Sport Pro beyond it. As a so-called M Performance model the M60 xDrive sits above that with its own range of features.
This barely scratches the surface and there is a lot to take in, but it seems BMW has gone all-in with the latest generation of its iconic saloon and is eager to satisfy both traditional and new customers alike. The proof will be in the driving, though, so watch this space for more.