Preview: India-bound 2017 BMW 5 Series revealed

BMW has now officially revealed all the details of its 2017 5 Series sedan. The German luxury carmaker claims to have sold more than 7.6 million units globally. The seventh-generation BMW 5 Series gets a new design along with an enhanced list of features. More importantly, with the use of aluminium and high-strength steels, BMW has managed to shave off 100kg in the new offering. The premium sedan will be launched on February 11, 2017, and is expected to arrive in India post that.

Design

With the leaked images, it was evident that the 2017 BMW 5 Series takes its major design inspiration from the flagship sedan, the 7 Series. It gets the familiar BMW kidney grille teamed with twin circular LED headlights flowing into the grille. The bumper too sports a new design which can be seen with the muscular contours and the new central air dam. The air vents housing the fog lamps have also received a design revision.

The side profile does resemble the outgoing model, but it measures 4,935mm in length and 1,868mm in width, making it 36mm longer and 6mm wider. The new iteration is also taller by 2mm at 1,466mm and has a wheelbase of 2,975mm up by 7mm. BMW states that the G30 5 Series offers the best coefficient of drag at 0.22 Cd that is 10 per cent lower than the previous version. This one too retains the Hofmeister kink, seen on other BMWs, which is essentially a small inward kink section seen on the lower area of the C-Pillar.

In addition to the strong character line, the new 5 Series also gets a prominent profile line flowing along the running board area. It also gets air vents behind the front wheel arch which gives the overall design an additional aerodynamic touch. The shorter front and a longer rear overhang makes the design look sportier than before.

The tail lights feature a new elongated design that incorporates "L" shaped LEDs. The rear bumper sports a two-tone finish and also gets a wider profile, similar to that of the front. It also gets chrome-finished exhaust outlets which will be standard across all variants.

Interior, features and options

The cabin design does look similar to the previous-gen. However, BMW mentions that the quality of plastics and trims have been further improved. The cabin features an ebony-beige colour combination. The lower section of the dashboard, door trims and the seats are done in beige leather and lend a spacious look to the overall cabin. The wooden-finished veneers and the piano black surround of the central panel make the cabin of the new 5 series resemble that of the new 7 Series.

The gesture-control functions that debuted in the new-gen BMW 7 Series last year will also be offered in the BMW 5 Series. It comes with equipped with navigation, Bluetooth telephone as well as other entertainment options. The 10.25-inch infotainment screen can be controlled with the help of the iDrive controller positioned on the central panel, along with the gesture and voice commands. It also gets a new heads-up display which BMW states has a larger projection area compared to the previous offering. The top-end trim also features an optional 1,400W Bowers & Wilkins 16-speaker with 10-channel amplifier entertainment system. The other option is a 9-channel 16-speaker Harman Kardon system with a total output of 600W.

Platform

The seventh-generation BMW 5 Series gets a redesigned chassis, states the company. It is believed that the new modular CLAR (CLuster ARchitecture) rear-wheel drive platform that also underpins the new-gen 7 Series also powers the new 5 Series. The same is also expected to make its way into the other portfolio cars. The new offering weighs lighter than the previous version by 100kg. In a statement, BMW states that the new five-link rear suspension uses light-metal components which is even lighter and stiffer than in the previous model. With a set-up like that, we believe the new BMW 5 Series will be more precise and have a sharper handling compared to the outgoing model.

Engine options

Powering the new-gen BMW 5 Series is a 4-cylinder 1,995cc diesel engine that churns out 190PS of maximum power and 400Nm of peak torque. The overall claimed fuel efficiency for the same is 24kmpl with the manual transmission and a similar figure with the 8-speed automatic transmission. This one can sprint from 0 to 100kmph in 7.6 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 237kmph. The more powerful 6-cylinder 2,993cc diesel unit produces a peak output of 265PS and 620Nm. BMW claims that this one delivers an overall efficiency of 22kmpl. It can do naught to 100kmph in 5.7 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 250kmph.

The petrol variants are powered by a 1,998cc motor that makes 252PS and 350Nm of peak power and torque. The claimed 0 to 100kmph acceleration timing for this one is 6.2 seconds while the overall efficiency is rated at 18.51kmpl. The 2,998cc 6-cylinder petrol motor puts out 340PS along with 450Nm of torque.

BMW will add three more engine options to this line-up from March 2017. It includes the 520d Efficient Dynamics Edition that claims to deliver an efficiency of 25.61kmpl. The 530e iPerformance will feature a plug-in hybrid. The combined output for the same is 252PS and 420Nm. It will deliver a claimed fuel efficiency of 50kmpl and will have a pure electric driving range of close to 45km. Lastly, it will also get a M550i xDrive variant that is powered by the new 8-cylinder 4,395cc petrol motor. This one makes 462PS/650Nm and can do 1-100kmph in 4.0 seconds.

Price

We expect the seventh-generation BMW 5 Series to arrive in India sometime next year. It will compete with the likes of the Jaguar XF, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 and also the upcoming Volvo S90. Presently, the BMW 5 Series is priced in the range of Rs 54.48-62.55 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai.