Review
BMW 5 Series
We are now ready for the seventh generation of the BMW 5 Series. The story of the BMW 5 Series began in 1972 and was also the start of a new model designation that BMW uses to this day. More than 7.6 million units of this car have now been sold worldwide and we were curious about the latest addition to this successful model. The new 5 Series looks sporty, elegant and stylish, is packed with driver assistance systems, innovative technology and also offers optimal connectivity. We were introduced to this high-tech wonder through a test drive with a BMW 540i.
Driver assistance systems
Numerous driver assistance systems are available on the 5 Series that assist the driver with driving and are another step forward towards autonomous driving.
The optional Driving Assist Plus package has numerous functions, including Lane Keeping Assist. This system helps the driver make steering corrections if the car threatens to leave the lane, approaches a vehicle behind it at high speed or when overtaking when a vehicle behind it is also approaching.
Lane Departure Warning will intervene automatically if the car moves outside the lane lines. Lane Change Warning will steer the car back into the lane if a driver behind you is in the blind spot. These systems are active between 70 and 210 km/h.
It will soon also be possible to automatically change lanes. The system then checks whether the situation allows you to overtake safely and then automatically changes lanes.
With the Steering and Lane Control Assistant you can automatically steer between 0 and 210 km/h. This system assists with steering interventions to keep the car in the lane. We have already been introduced to this system on the 7 Series. The most recent version of this system now makes it even easier to recognize road markings. You still have to maintain contact with the steering wheel. This only needs to be a few fingers. You can also let go of the steering wheel completely, but for a very short period of time, for example to open a bottle of water. In traffic jams, the system also uses a vehicle in front as a reference point to assist with steering.
Dynamic Cruise Control is standard on the 5 Series. With the optional Active Cruise Control, the system uses the radar to adapt the speed to the traffic ahead at speeds between 0 and 210 km/h. It can stop the car completely and start it again if the vehicle in front starts moving again within thirty seconds.
Gesture control
You can also operate a number of functions using gestures that are sensed by a 3D sensor in the center console. For example, you can adjust the volume by making a circle with your index finger or zoom in on the navigation map by moving your thumb and index finger towards the navigation map. What we also found very useful is that you can also operate the 3D view of the Surround View System with your fingers when parking. This way you can literally hold the car and turn the view depending on what exactly you want to see.
Surround View
With this system you get a view of the traffic situation in 3D and from a bird’s eye view. This is useful when parking, but also in the city when you have to maneuver through a narrow space. With Remote 3D View you can send images of the car’s surroundings to your smartphone via the mobile network. This way you can also check the area surrounding your car from a great distance.
Adaptive navigation
The latest version of Navigation Professional was improved in several areas. This makes it work faster and display realistic 3D maps of cities. It is also a self-learning system. For example, if the driver always deviates from the calculated route, the system will take this into account the next time it displays that route.
Motorizations
We were introduced to the new 5 Series through a test drive with the 540i. It has a petrol engine with a capacity of 2,998 cc and 6 cylinders in-line. This engine has a power of 340 hp and a max. torque of 450 Nm. The top speed is 250 km/h and the sprint from 0-100 km/h takes 5.1 seconds. The 540i is equipped with an 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. The base price is 61,650 euros or 64,350 euros for xDrive.
The entry-level entry into the petrol range is the 530i (54,400 euros) or 530i xDrive (57,100 euros). It contains a 2.0 four-cylinder with a power of 252 hp. In addition, an M550i xDrive (89,950 euros) is also available. This has a 4,395 cc eight-cylinder petrol engine with a big 462 hp. This sedan sprints to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds.
There is also a wide choice in the diesel range. The entry-level is the 520d from 47,950 euros with a manual transmission. The automatic is available from 50,250 euros and for the xDrive you have to pay at least 52,950 euros. The 520d has a 2.0 four-cylinder diesel engine with a power of 190 hp.
There is also a 530d (59,900 euros) available and a 530d xDrive (62,550 euros). It has a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine with a power of 265 hp.
There is also a plug-in hybrid in the range in the form of the BMW 530e iPerformance (57,950 euros). This model has a 2.0 petrol engine in combination with the BMW eDrive electric drivetrain. The system power is 252 hp and the electric range is approximately 45 km* (based on EU test cycle).
Virtual showroom
You can now also discover the new 5 Series at the dealer. What is new is that you can also discover this car in a BMW virtual showroom, including on a smartphone and tablet. If you provide a telephone number, a BMW product genius will contact you. You can immediately ask questions during a video call and thanks to some cameras you can also discover the car. The virtual showroom is open from Tuesday to Friday between 10 am and 7 pm and on Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.
Conclusion
The new BMW 5 Series does what it’s supposed to do and so much more. The car looks beautiful in terms of design and finish both outside and inside and the color of our test car “Bluestone Metallic” is certainly our favorite. There is a lot of the 7 Series in the 5 Series, but BMW has also managed to give the 5 Series its own character. The technological innovations that you can find on this car are numerous and, especially in the field of autonomous driving, boundaries are being pushed again.
Johan De Haes
Test driver
