BMW 5 Series: more technology, luxury than 7 Series limousine

You no longer need to drive a limousine to have the best luxury equipment BMW has to offer.

In response to corporate downsizing around the world, the German car maker has done some vicarious downsizing itself -- technology normally reserved for the biggest and most expensive model in its range has been crammed into BMW's new mid-sized executive sedan.

The all-new 5 Series is designed to appeal to bosses in the big end of town who, in the wake of job losses and belt-tightening, want to appear to be cutting back on extravagant cars.

"There are perception issues out there in some sectors of the corporate world for sure," says BMW Australia boss Stavros Yallouridis. "So now you can have every piece of technology and luxury BMW makes, but in an executive-class sedan."

In fact, the new 5 Series has some options that are not yet available on the 7 Series limousine, including a self-parking system and a bird's eye camera view of the car's surroundings.

The new, sixth-generation 5 Series is closer in style and substance to the BMW flagship than ever before.

From the driver's seat, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a $200,000 7 Series -- even though the cost of a 5 Series starts at less than half this price -- such is the interior presentation, features and attention to detail.

From the outside, the new 5 Series gets the more upright grille first seen on the new 7 Series, and a tail-light treatment similar to the flagship sedan's.

The new 5 Series has grown in size, too, making it more like a slightly smaller 7 Series rather than a slightly bigger 3 Series. It's now the biggest sedan among its luxury peers. The new 5 Series is even built alongside the new 7 Series at the factory in Dingolfing, Germany, literally paralleling the larger car.

But the extra space -- and extra luxury features -- have come at a cost: weight.

Although the body structure is 50kg lighter than before thanks to more widespread use of aluminium, the 5 Series has put on between 40kg and 170kg depending on the model (see table below).

At least the new 5 Series now achieves a five-star Euro NCAP rating; the previous model only scored four stars.

Extra equipment has also seen prices rise on certain models but somehow, on others, BMW has managed to deliver significant price cuts.

The starting price for a new BMW 5 Series has risen by close to $7000, to $83,300 for the 520d, the 2.0-litre turbo diesel variant -- the most popular model in the 5 Series line-up since it was released two years ago.

The price has likely risen because there is more equipment than before, such as a digital head-up display, parking sensors front and rear, 17-inch alloy wheels and a ski-port in the rear seat, all of which were previously options.

Head-up display (which reflects the car's speed and other information into the driver's line of sight in the windscreen) is now standard on all 5 Series models after BMW Australia found that 96 per cent of buyers ticked this option on the previous model.

Eight-speed automatic transmissions are also standard across the range (replacing six-speed autos), which have boosted performance and reduced fuel consumption to class-leading levels.

Meanwhile, the price of what is likely to become the most popular petrol variant, the 528i, which effectively replaces the 530i, has been slashed by more than $16,000 to $99,900. This is despite the new model gaining the same extras as the 520d, plus bi-xenon headlights, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

After an absence of almost two years, BMW finally has a replacement for the highly regarded 540i -- but the 4.0-litre V8 has been superseded by an all-new 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine with a big turbocharger.

Despite this engine being called a "TwinPower Turbo", it is a single turbo unit with a "twin-scroll" turbocharger, and therefore should not be confused with the twin-turbo 3.0-litre six used in older BMWs -- even though the 225kW power and the 400Nm torque figures are the same.

Nevertheless, it's a formidable package. The 535i engine may lack the 540i V8 engine's character, but it has the same power as the old 540i -- and 10Nm more torque.

The 535i is also significantly cheaper -- the list price of $128,900 is almost $12,000 less than the 540i. However, the price of the 550i, the flagship of the 5 Series fleet (until the high performance M5 arrives in a couple of years) has gone up in price by more than $8000 (to $178,900). But for that, you get more power.

The old 550i was powered by a 4.8-litre V8 petrol engine, the new one is powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-litre petrol V8, with a significantly higher output than before (see table below). With 600Nm it has even more torque than the mighty BMW M5 V10. But the 550i also has taken on the biggest weight increase (up 170kg).

The new 5 Series range is another example of how the numbers on the bootlid no longer automatically denote the capacity of the engine under the bonnet.

With the exception of the 520d (which is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel) none of the other 5 Series model numbers indicate engine size (528i and 535i are both 3.0-litre engines, and the 550i now describes an even smaller engine than before: a 4.4-litre V8 instead of a 4.8-litre V8).

BMW Australia marketing boss Tom Noble says car makers in general face a challenge convincing customers to pay a premium for smaller engines.

"For decades bigger has been better when it comes to engine sizes, but smaller, more powerful and more efficient engines cost more to design, develop and produce because there is so much more technology in them," he says.

Options on all new 5 Series include Active Steering (a $3600 option), which now incorporates a variable steering ratio with rear-wheel steering -- a feature pioneered in the latest 7 Series. At speeds below 60km/h the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels (up to 2.5 degrees) for a tighter turning circle and easier manoeuvrability. Between 60km/h and 80km/h the rear wheels remain neutral. And at speeds above 80km/h the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheels (up to 2.5 degrees) for better road holding at high speeds.

Technology highlights include the option of a more advanced night vision system, radar cruise control with stop and go function, a collision alert system (that will prime the brakes if you are about to rear-end the car in front), and a 'pop-up' bonnet for added pedestrian protection.
 
Other options include a more advanced suspension system that counters the effects of lean in corners, but it is $7000 extra.

The first of the new 5 Series models to arrive in Australian showrooms in June will be the petrol-powered 528i, 535i and 550i. The diesel-powered 520d is due to follow in September.

An Australian release date for the diesel-powered 530i has not been set but it is expected in about 12 months. Diesel engines have accounted for 50 per cent of BMW 5 Series volume over the past few years, so BMW will presumably be keen to get this model into Australia as soon as possible.

The current generation BMW M5 high performance sedan is now out of production and a new model is due in Australian showrooms in two years.

BMW has remained tight-lipped about the next M5 but overseas reports have speculated it will be powered by a high-output version of the twin turbo 4.4-litre V8 used in the X5M and X6M (408kW and 680Nm) and matched to a rapid-shifting twin-clutch gearbox.

Old 530i (3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol, 170kW/300Nm) $116,824.
New 528i (3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol, 190kW/310Nm) $99,900.

Old 530d (3.0-litre turbo diesel) $116,250.
New 530d (not yet available, about one year away).

Old 540i (4.0-litre V8 petrol, 225kW/390Nm) $140,200 (discontinued 2008).
New 535i (3.0-litre six-cylinder single turbo petrol, 225kW/400Nm) $128,900.

Old 550i (4.8-litre V8 petrol, 270kW/490Nm) $170,800.
New 550i (4.4-litre V8 twin turbo petrol, 300kW/600Nm) $178,900.

Old BMW M5 (5.0-litre V10 petrol, 373kW/520Nm) $241,800.
New BMW M5 (not yet available, about two years away).

Weighty matters
520d up 105kg to 1625kg
528i up 125kg to 1655kg
535i up 40kg to 1700kg
550i up 170kg to 1830kg
Source: BMW Australia

For driving impressions of the new 5 Series, read our international launch review and we'll have a local drive report soon.

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