New 5 arrives

BMW has stepped away from controversy and is emphasising elegance with its all-new, sixth-generation 5 Series, unveiled in Munich today.

With a choice of seven engines and two transmissions, BMW's designers have made its traditional technology flagship longer, slightly wider and a touch heavier, but more fuel efficient across the range.

And, while its predecessor used a combination of an aluminium front end and a steel rear end to keep its weight distribution at 50:50, the sixth-generation 5 Series now uses an all-steel structure and takes advantage of an extra 80mm in the wheelbase to keep its balance just right.

But, while it may be 40mm longer overall, don't expect any more space inside the new 5 Series, codenamed F10. That's because most of the extra wheelbase has been used to elongate the bonnet and move the front wheels forward, creating extra length in the look of the 5 Series.

While the seven-vehicle range will go on sale in Europe immediately after next March's Geneva Motor Show, Australia will wait until June at the earliest before the turbo-charged, in-line, six-cylinder 535i arrives.

BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski explained that Australians typically bought mostly six-cylinder versions of the 5 Series and, while there were two less-powerful, non-turbo petrol six cylinders available, there was pent-up demand for the 225kW, 400Nm 535i.

It will be followed around 12 weeks later by the first of the diesels, one of which emits an astonishingly low 137 grams of carbon, despite having 380Nm of torque.

Engines
The first six-cylinder TwinPower engine, the 535i's motor combines the variable-rate turbocharging, direct-fuel injection and variable valve timing systems to help lower fuel consumption to just 8.4L/100km.

Its claimed emission figure is equally impressive, slipping under the 200 grams/km of CO2 barrier with 199. In fact, six of the seven engines emit less than 200 grams, with the turbocharged V8 550 the only exception.

It's easy to see why BMW will focus on the 535i initially. It's strong, with 400Nm of torque and, sprinting to 100km/h in 6.0 seconds, it's fast, too. Even in Germany, BMW has limited it to 250km/h.

Like all the six-cylinder petrol engines, it's based around an all-aluminium block and cylinder head and a light-weight magnesium oil pan.

Even though torque is up by almost 3 per cent, BMW has improved its fuel consumption 13 per cent to 8.4L/100km and its emissions by 17 per cent.

That's not all engine tune, though, because BMW claims the eight-speed automatic transmission is worth 0.4L/100km on its own merits.

While BMW is yet to confirm which other engines Australia will get, the Europeans also have a choice of the 523i and the 528i, both of which run direct-injection, non-turbocharged versions of the 535i's in-line six-cylinder engine.

The 523i is a 150kW proposition, with 270Nm of torque and claims the honour of being the lightest car in the 5 Series fleet at 1625kg (DIN, 1700kg EU).

The 528i uses the same basic engine technology, but produces 190kW and 310Nm of torque.

The diesels are likely to be 12 weeks behind the 535i and, though BMW offers a mid-range 525d in Europe, it's unlikely to find a following in Australia, so it's not coming.

Instead, it will launch with the 520d and the 530d. While the 520d is the only four-cylinder 5 Series offered at launch time, don't expect a weakling.

The twin-turbo four has 380Nm of torque, even though its economy is the strong point. At 5.2L/100km, it's the engine that makes the most of the 5 Series' 70-litre fuel tank, and emits only 137g/km on the combined cycle.

The 530d, on the other hand, is an out-and-out cruncher of an engine, pushing 180kW of power and 540Nm of torque to run the 535i close on speed and acceleration. Even though it will sprint to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds, it will still use just 6.3L/100km on the combined fuel cycle.

While the petrol V8 won't join the party from the start, it should arrive before the 2010 calendar year is out. The same TwinPower 5.4-litre V8 as used in the 7 Series, it has 600Nm and a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.0 seconds.

Design
With its simplified lines that land somewhere between the 3 and 7 Series, vertical grille, elongated bonnet and a return to dashboards that tilt towards the driver, the F10 is a clear sign that new design boss Adrian van Hooydonk has taken a decisive step away from the Chris Bangle era.

"5 Series drivers like to drive faster on occasion and we thought it was important that we see autobahn speed in its design all the time," BMW design boss, Adrian von Hooydonk, said.

"It's a car that should always look elegant and compared to the 7 Series, it should look dramatic.

"This is all the BMW you will ever need and it has that confidence about the way it sits, where the 7 Series is luxury and, by definition more than you will ever need."

While it's clearly derived from the same philosophy as the 7 Series and the 5 Series Gran Turismo, von Hooydonk insists it's more aggressive in its outlook than both of them.

"If you look at the grille, it actually tilts just a fraction forward, which has always been a sign of sportiness with us. The kidney grilles are also wider, which indicates it's sportier than the luxury cars," he said.

While one of the key criticisms of the current 5 Series has been its lack of rear leg room, the F10 has no more interior space than there was on the old car.

"Most of the increase (in wheelbase) went between the front cowl and the front axle for weight distribution," he admitted.

"Some of it went to the rear, but most of it is not going to increase the size of the cabin."

Chassis, suspension
The bodywork is different under the skin, as well as with the design. BMW has been able to go back to steel because, well, steel isn't just steel anymore.

It uses a variety of different strengths and steel thicknesses to add muscle where it's needed and the remove weight where it's not needed and it lifts the body rigidity an impressive 55 per cent over the old car.

Aluminium hasn't disappeared completely, though, because the F10's doors, bonnet and front quarter panels are still aluminium.

Its wheelbase has been lifted by 80mm to 2968mm (considerably longer than the E-Class's 2873mm), but don't expect that to be reflected in a bigger cabin.

Instead, BMW has used the extra length mostly to stretch the front wheels forward to help with the weight distribution and to lengthen the perceived expanse of the bonnet.

The good news, though, is that the overall length is up only 40mm, so the engineers have found a way to shorten the front and rear overhangs and still pass all the world's crash tests.

In fact, those heavy design creases on the front bonnet aren't just there for looks. von Hooydonk admitted they also added height above the shock absorber towers; one of the critical areas for pedestrian safety laws.

The traditional BMW MacPherson strut front suspension has gone, too, ditched in favour of a double-wishbone setup, while there's a multilink suspension system down the back.

While the 5 Series might be longer, it's only a fraction wider and it's actually lower than the old car.

To offset this, BMW has dropped in the hip point of all five seats and even cleverly managed to put a lower niche in the floor where the front occupant's heels go to give them added foot room.

But don't expect any more space inside than you get on the current 5 Series. BMW might claim 17mm more knee room in the rear, but you don't get it if you buy the normal "comfort" seat options up front. The narrower "sports" seat lifts the rear legroom, not the architecture of the car. There is more rear headroom, though.

Overlaid on the mechanical setup are the usual, dizzying array of driver electronic aids, including Dynamic Drive Control to switch the steering, throttle, gear-change, stability control and damping to the driver's preferred setup.

"Dynamic Drive Control makes this new 5 Series as responsive to drive as a 3 Series," Dr Klaus Draeger, member of the board of BMW and responsible for Research and Development, said.

"Our main focus is to ensure that the 5 Series can deliver in handling and driving what the design promises," he said.

Trickery
You come to expect trickery in a major model overhaul and, it must be said, the 5 Series doesn't have a lot we haven't seen somewhere else before.

It revives the old idea of rear-wheel steering as an option to reduce the turning circle by 0.5 metres, which seems a big rise in complication for a small profit to us.

The automatic parking system couldn't be more useful, using ultrasound sensors on both sides of the car to scan for a big-enough parking space. It will let you know when a space is big enough (just 0.4 metres longer than the car itself), then you pluck reverse and all you do is work the accelerator and the brake pedal, while the car uses its electric steering system to do the rest.

There's also Surround View, which uses the reversing camera, plus cameras in the side mirrors and under the front wheelarches to give you a 360 degree view displayed in the standard TV screen.

Highlights
First 5 Series - 1972
5 Series sold - 5.5 million
5 Series percentage of BMW volume - 20 per cent

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