All-new BMW 5-series unveiled

BMW launches the all-new F10 5-series, starting with the 535i. The existing 5-series will be discontinued after stocks run out. The ex-showroom price for the 535i will be Rs 58 lakh across India. Following the launch of the 535i, the new 530d will also make its way into the Indian market. The 525d and the 523i are expected to be launched later, around November/December.

BMW’s all-new 5-series is packed with new tech and is all set to shock the competition with its wide range of talents. To start with, the car looks stunning in the flesh and the drool factor is significant. There’s a lot of 7-series in the design and the sharp cuts in the body and the details give it a lot of the same muscular, sinuous character you see in the 3-series. There’s no mistaking this car for anything else, that’s for sure.

Initial impressions from behind the wheel are that this is a scaled-down 7-series. A bit softer around the edges and more rounded in its character to broaden its appeal, it seems BMW has done this because the character of the earlier car was too extreme and driver-oriented. For a luxury car the chassis is a mammoth 55 percent stiffer and that really helps give a fantastic ride quality despite the run-flat tyres, which do their best to provide a hard edge to bumps.

Ride comfort in fact is phenomenal and part of this is because you can choose from different suspension settings, a first on a 5-series. Rear seat space is also a huge improvement over the current car as the new Five is a scaled-down 7-series in actual fact. You still sit a bit lower than in an E-class, but the seat is very comfortable and the front seatback isn’t as in-your-face as in the earlier car. This is also now a genuine five-seater, with plenty of room for even five big individuals.

Unfortunately, there is still that big central tunnel that the fifth passenger has to straddle; it seems there is no getting away from it for powerful rear-wheel-drive cars. Back up front, the dash looks very familiar to anyone who’s driven or sat in a 7-series, again the basic design is very similar and the insides have a very modern and contemporary feel to them, not as blocky as the new E-class but classy and very up-to-date. As a result, the high-grade trim and quality are top class and the best we’ve seen in this class of car. The new Five even exceeds the E-class for sheer quality and the richness of the plastics, and that’s saying something.

No complaints about the engines either, especially the turbocharged 535i that puts out a lusty 306bhp. It’s easy to get enthralled by the silky low end, the huge midrange punch and willingness to rev. This is after all the same motor as in the Z4.

Also, does anybody make better diesels than BMW? The straight six format gives it an advantage as far as smoothness is concerned, the diesel clatter is incredibly well suppressed and then punches really hard in the midrange. Also worthy of a mention is the new eight-speed transmission on the range- topper that could come to India eventually. This twin-clutch unit (DSG in Audi Speak) is one of the smoothest automatics we have driven, the shifts are seamless, even BMW’s paddles work well when asked to downshift aggressively.

What is disappointing, however, is the electric steering of the car, done in the interests of saving fuel and a low C02 output. Though it’s fairly accurate and direct, there is some inconsistent feel to it and it gives you very little feedback. Body control and grip however are phenomenal and the new Five can really surprise you with the speed it can carry into corners. And the optional rear-wheel steering works wonders in keeping the car utterly stable.

But still, we do miss the super-precise and quick steering of the old 5-series, with its zero slack around the straight-ahead and directly connected to the road feel.

However, the improvements in refinement, quality and ride comfort will mean this car is even better suited to the multitude of chauffeur driven luxury car buyers in India.