BMW M5 2017
BMW 5 Series sedan 2017
BMW 5 Series Estate 2017
BMW 5 series 003
BMW 5 series 004
Michael Taylor26 May 2016
NEWS

Next BMW 5 Series to major on tech

Conservative styling to hide big tech advances for BMW’s large car innovation leader

UPDATED 26/05/2016 10:00am: Fresh spy shots in overnight now provide our best look yet at BMW's completely new 2017 5 Series -- including M5, sedan, wagon and GT.

Anybody hoping for a big leap forward in the exterior design of BMW’s next 5 Series better turn away now, because the styling of the redesigned large sedan -- which goes on sale in Australia next year -- will be more evolution than revolution.

BMW is planning on making up for that with wave after wave of technology, though, including pre-engineering for autonomous driving, big-range hybrid technology and by ripping out 100kg of mass.

Due to be unveiled at this year’s Paris motor show in September, the new 5 Series will be all about semi-autonomous driving, connectivity and a return to a fun-driving philosophy.

A key to this will be the debut of the four-turbo 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder diesel for the M50d xDrive. A development of the current tri-turbo diesel engine behind the same badge, the new motor saves about five per cent in its fuel consumption, but delivers 700Nm of torque in its standard form and teases with the promise of more.

BMW 5 series 005


The petrol-powered 5 Series family will still be topped by the M5, which will for the first time include an all-wheel drive option to pull its 0-100km/h sprint times back into the same ballpark as other German bahnstormers like Audi’s RS 6 and RS 7 and Mercedes-AMG's E 63.

At the other extreme, the 5 Series will still (in Europe, at least) use a six-speed manual transmission to keep costs down in the fleet-focused 140kW 520d and 520i models.

Sources insist that rumours of three-cylinder petrol and diesel power at the cost-sensitive bottom-end of the range are incorrect. Even the company’s hybrid models won’t use the three-pot motor, though it has already found happy homes under MINI and BMW bonnets.

Instead, the plug-in hybrid will use a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine as its internal-combustion powerplant, plus a 90kW electric motor to give it a combined power output of around 245kW, which will make it a swift performer.

BMW 5 series 002

BMW has hopes to start the hybrid’s electric range at 50km, but extend that out to 100km as the tougher EU7 rules for emissions kick in from 2020.

While the lion’s share of European 5 Series will be sold with the four-cylinder engines (and then usually the diesel one), the car will always be judged on its sixes. It will have five versions of its 3.0-litre diesel and petrol sixes, ranging from 265kW to the quad-turbo’s 305kW.

The majority of 5 Series models will use a development of the company’s ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-new multi-link rear suspension.

The new rear-end is just one of the areas of weight saving around the car, with the majority coming from a new mix of metals for the body’s architecture, and BMW insiders insist it will be at least 100kg lighter than before.

BMW 5 series 008


While it won’t be capable of running as a fully autonomous car in tricky urban conditions, it will get 'autonomous-lite', which will let it run as an autonomous car on open roads and motorways, at speeds up to at least 130km/h.

Inside, BMW has staked its flag on gesture-control command systems to set it apart from its rivals, and none of its German foes seem that interested in following it down the same path.

It put a big bet down on the systems with the new 7 Series and the next 5 Series will take that even further, using it to control even more features and systems in the car.

It will also be fully connected with a high-speed internet connection, storing apps and other data in the cloud and then tapping them as needed.

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Written byMichael Taylor
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