BMW 5-Series Touring, 2014
The BMW 5-Series Sedan currently rolling off the assembly line is the sixth-generation model. An impressively harmonious balance between sporting flair and elegance has been a defining feature of the four-door variant since it first made the leap from the drawing board to the road and went on to become the most popular executive car in one market after the next. Entering the fray in 1991 and now in its fourth generation, the BMW 5-Series Touring blends hallmark BMW dynamics and all-embracing comfort with a variable-usage cargo area designed to meet the requirements of a wide range of activities. And the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, unveiled in 2009, has seen BMW introduce drivers to an all-new type of car. Its extravagant design represents the expression of sports performance, luxurious long-distance comfort and versatility.
Global market leader: BMW 5-Series defends its leading position in the world's car markets
To date, over 6.6 million BMW 5-Series cars have left the factory. And the current BMW 5-Series is in excellent shape to surpass the record set by the highly successful last two generations, each of which sold in excess of 1.4 million units. A total of more than one million units of the current BMW 5-Series Sedan have been delivered to customers since the sales launch of the 5-Series in March 2010. No other generation has bettered these sales figures over such a short period of time.
The BMW 5-Series defended its leading position as the best-selling car in its class in supreme style once again last year, further extending its upward curve of constantly rising sales figures since its market launch.
Soaking up acclaim around the world: BMW 5-Series earns top ratings, wins design awards, heads readers' surveys
The quality and popularity of the BMW 5-Series are reflected in the host of prizes and distinctions awarded to the members of the model family around the world. In early 2013 the BMW 5-Series secured class victory - for the third year in succession - in the readers' survey "The Best Cars" conducted by the German motoring magazine "auto, motor und sport". This success came not long after the BMW 520d EfficientDynamics Edition with BMW BluePerformance technology had been voted "Car of the Future" and awarded the ADAC automobile association's "Yellow Angel". The BMW 5-Series as a whole had been named "Germany's favourite car" in the same competition in 2011.
In addition to the red dot award, iF Product Design Award and Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany, the BMW 5-Series has also picked up a notable collection of international distinctions in recognition of its successful exterior design. Beyond these, the BMW 5-Series has been voted "Car of the Year", "Best Car", "Premium Car of the Year", "Family Car of the Year" and "Executive Car of the Year" in various countries.
This broad spread of qualities has been recognised with a swathe of impressive ratings elsewhere as well. German car journal "Auto Bild" crowned the BMW 525d Touring "Value Champion 2012" on account of its high value retention in the used car market. The title had been awarded to the BMW 520d Sedan the previous year. And the BMW 5-Series emerged from both the Euro NCAP and the US NCAP crash tests with the highest rating of five stars. It was also the first vehicle to achieve a 100 per cent score in the Safety Assist category of the Euro NCAP crash tests.
Design and body: Timeless elegance, cutting-edge functionality and made-to-measure luxury
Instantly captivating and enduringly compelling, the aesthetic qualities of the BMW 5-Series models have secured sales success around the globe and a wealth of awards and distinctions. "We haven't completely redesigned the BMW 5-Series, we've just given its character a slightly sharper sporting edge," says exterior designer Won Kyu Kang, describing the modifications made to the BMW 5-Series Sedan and BMW 5-Series Touring.
The BMW 5-Series Sedan and BMW 5-Series Touring: sporting contours for the front end, xenon headlights as standard
Sporting elegance is the standout characteristic of the BMW 5-Series Sedan and BMW 5-Series Touring. Their design is defined by the hallmark BMW proportions created by a long bonnet, long wheelbase, short overhangs and set-back passenger compartment. At the front end, additional contour lines for the BMW kidney grille surround and the restructured lower air intake accentuate the car's sporting appearance. All the variants of the new BMW 5-Series model family are fitted with xenon headlights as standard.
Joining the LED fog lamps on the options list are Adaptive LED Headlights. Here, both the dipped and main beams are generated by LED units positioned on horizontal ribs in the centre of the two light rings, which are levelled off at the bottom. Sweeping chrome inserts with engraved BMW lettering add the finishing touches to the distinctive and extremely high-class appearance of the Adaptive LED Headlights. The side indicators are now integrated into the exterior mirrors on all new BMW 5-Series models. And the Sedan and Touring have newly structured rear lights with particularly thin and strikingly contoured LED light strips. These lights and an additional crease in the rear apron emphasise the wide track of both models.
New BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo: powerful presence at the front, dynamic elegance at the rear
The BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo combines signature BMW proportions with an innovative body concept. The elegantly stretched coupé roofline, four doors with frameless windows and a high-opening tailgate exude sporting intent, luxurious long-distance comfort and extensive variability. Carefully targeted modifications to the car's design shine an even brighter spotlight on its unmistakable character, which meets the highest standards across an extremely wide spectrum.
A new air intake highlights the powerful presence of the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo's front end. The tailgate, meanwhile, has been extended rearwards and gives the roofline's transition into the rear an even more harmonious appearance. All of which allows the car as a whole to cut a lower-slung and dynamically stretched figure. These sharpened contours have also had a positive effect on the boot capacity of the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, which has been increased by 60 litres to 500 litres.
Horizontally structured and three-dimensional surfaces play a defining role in the new look of the rear end. Vibrant light and shade effects around the licence plate mount, a dynamically sweeping crease extending into the flanks and a chrome trim strip in the rear apron give the tail end a lighter and sportier feel. This impression is reinforced by the new outline of the two-section rear lights. Their horizontal layout is accentuated internally by a light design distilled into two LED light strips.
Interior: each model variant offers its own take on long-distance comfort, variability and a luxurious ambience
New details inside all the cars in the new BMW 5-Series provide a refined premium impression and increased functionality. In all models the Control Display of the standard iDrive operating system is now bordered on both sides by high-quality chrome trim strips. And the storage compartments and cup holders in the centre console of the Sedan and Touring now have increased capacity.
Generous levels of space, exquisite materials and high-quality workmanship all contribute to the premium ambience characteristic of the BMW 5-Series model family, as do exclusive interior design details like the standard iDrive and the black-panel technology of the instrument cluster and automatic climate control system's display.
The iDrive Controller can be ordered as an option with a touch-sensitive surface allowing character recognition. For example, a destination can be programmed into the navigation system by spelling out the desired address using finger movements on the Controller's surface. The existing "Speller" in the Control Display can also be used to this end, and the driver can alternate freely between the two operating methods while entering a command.
Other option unique in this segment is the multifunction instrument display designed to enhance driving pleasure. This 10.25-inch TFT cockpit screen takes its cues from the Driving Experience Control mode selected. Varying graphics and colour schemes ensure clear differentiation. In COMFORT mode the instrument display depicts a classical combination of four circular instruments. A magnifying glass function highlights the car's current speed and revs. In ECO PRO mode the rev counter morphs into an EfficientDynamics display, which indicates how efficiently you are driving. In SPORT mode the speedometer shows the car's speed digitally in the form of a large central figure, while the gear currently engaged is displayed in the centre of the rev counter.
The new BMW 5-Series Sedan underlines its qualities as a mile-devouring car for business use or trips away with its high level of long-distance comfort for all passengers. What's more, its boot can hold 520 litres of cargo.
For those with further-reaching requirements when it comes to load capacity, the BMW 5-Series Touring will be the model of choice. An array of individual solutions lends the Touring a level of functionality and variability unmatched in its segment. Even when all the seats are in use it offers 560 litres of boot capacity, which can be expanded to as much as 1,670 litres as the occasion demands. The rear seat backrests split 40 : 20 : 40 as standard and can also be ordered with an adjustable tilt angle as an option. A pair of levers in the load compartment allows the folding-down process for the backrests to be initiated from the boot, and their approach into a horizontal position is now cushioned slightly to settle them into place. The load compartment cover is automatically lowered when the tailgate is closed. Plus, the tailgate of the BMW 5-Series Touring comes as standard with a Soft Close Automatic function and a rear window that can be opened separately from the tailgate itself, flipping up automatically at the touch of a button.
BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo: the perfect combination of luxurious long-distance comfort and versatility
The BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo offers an unmatched blend of luxurious long-distance comfort and versatility, fusing the imposing elegance of a Sedan with the variable-usage interior of a Touring model and the versatility of a Sports Activity Vehicle. Its seating position - slightly raised to a height somewhere between that offered by a sedan and an SAV - allows particularly comfortable entry and exit. Rear passengers can enjoy legroom and headroom normally the preserve of luxury cars. The rear seats slide forward by 73 millimetres and the angle of their backrests can be adjusted through 33 degrees. When released from its locked position, the partition behind the rear seats follows the longitudinal movements of the seats, allowing boot capacity to grow from 500 to 650 litres. The partition and rear seat backrests can be split 40 : 20 : 40. Folding down all the elements and moving the rear seats all the way forward allows the Gran Turismo to reveal its maximum 1,750 litres of load capacity. To load items into the boot, one can either open the full, high-opening tailgate or a separate boot lid below the rear window. Similarly to a sedan, this smaller opening allows access to the load area without disturbing rear seat passengers.
Automatic tailgate operation comes as standard on the BMW 5-Series Touring and BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo and is also available as an option for the BMW 5-Series Sedan. The function of the optional Comfort Access system that allows the tailgate to be opened hands-free has been extended - for all members of the new BMW 5-Series model family - to include a closing mechanism, which means that a movement of the foot under the rear apron can now be used to prompt the tailgate to close as well as open. After unloading items from the boot, customers can therefore also close the tailgate without having to put down the items they're holding.
BMW 5-Series customers can choose from a wide selection of exterior paint colours. New additions to the range - and available for all models - are Calisto Grey metallic, Jatoba metallic, Mineral White metallic and Glacier Silver metallic. New variants have also been added to the line-up of optional light-alloy wheels.
Exclusively composed BMW Lines are now available for the first time to all members of the new BMW 5-Series model family as an alternative to standard specification. Customers can choose between the BMW Luxury Line and BMW Modern Line design packages, which shine the spotlight on selected facets of the car's character to great effect. Both Lines include LED fog lamps, 18-inch (BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo: 19-inch) light-alloy wheels, B-pillar trim and exterior mirror bases in high-gloss black, illuminated door pulls with chrome trim and likewise illuminated door sill strips with aluminium inserts bearing BMW lettering. Luxury / Modern badges can be found on the front side panels.
The BMW Luxury Line exudes a high level of elegance and exclusiveness thanks to a carefully assembled selection of further particularly high-class features for the exterior and interior. The chrome finish of the trim bars in the outer sections of the lower air intake, the fronts of the black kidney grille slats, the window recess finishers, the trim strip in the rear apron and the exhaust tailpipe embellishers all add gleaming touches. Leather upholstery with exclusive stitching, a black sports leather steering wheel and interior trim strips in exquisite Fineline anthracite wood create a particularly refined interior ambience.
The BMW Modern Line package displays a strikingly contemporary and dynamic edge. The air intake bars, kidney grille slats, rear trim strip and tailpipe embellishers come in matt chrome, and the instrument panel and sports leather steering wheel can be specified as an option in the light colour shade Oyster. Interior trim strips in dark Pearl and exclusive stitching for the optional leather upholstery ensure the interior creates an eye-catching impression.
Powertrain and chassis: The perfect balance of dynamics and comfort
The appeal of Sheer Driving Pleasure in a premium executive class car is set to grow even further in both strength and reach with the launch of the new BMW 5-Series model family. The host of optimised details included in all variants of the new BMW 5-Series have led to (in some cases significantly) reduced fuel consumption, but with no drop-off in sporting ability. Indeed, some models now actually offer improved performance. Added to which, all engine variants now meet the stipulations of the EU6 exhaust gas standard.
A new entry-level diesel variant, additional models equipped with xDrive all-wheel drive and an even more powerful yet also more efficient range-topping V8 power plant join the action, completing an engine line-up that now covers an output spectrum from 105 kW/143 hp to 330 kW/450 hp. The new BMW 5-Series Sedan and new BMW 5-Series Touring can be specified with a choice of four petrol and six diesel engines. Beyond this, the Sedan also comes in BMW ActiveHybrid 5 full-hybrid and BMW M5 high-performance guise. The engine line-up for the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo comprises two petrol units and three diesels.
The cutting-edge chassis technology underpinning all the models in the BMW 5-Series family delivers a balance of dynamic performance and ride comfort without precedent in this market segment, while the Electric Power Steering system comes with Servotronic speed-sensitive power assistance as standard. The BMW 5-Series Touring and BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo are also fitted as standard with automatic self-levelling air suspension at the rear axle. Among the options available for all members of the BMW 5-Series family are the Integral Active Steering and Adaptive Drive systems, which no other model in this segment offers. Targeted enhancements of acoustic and suspension comfort in the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, meanwhile, lend even further emphasis to its role as the supreme long-distance specialist of the line-up. The Sedan and Touring have likewise made notable advances in these areas.
An efficient start: new entry-level diesel engine for the Sedan and Touring
BMW TwinPower Turbo technology ensures an exemplary balance of driving pleasure and fuel consumption across the engine range. In the new entry-level diesel engine, which powers the BMW 518d Sedan and BMW 518d Touring, this package of technology consists of a turbocharger with variable inlet geometry and common rail direct injection with solenoid valve injectors. The 2.0-litre engine develops a maximum output of 105 kW/143 hp, generates peak torque of 360 Newton metres (266 lb-ft) and accelerates the new BMW 518d Sedan from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.6 seconds. The four-cylinder unit burns an average 4.5 - 4.9 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres (equivalent to 62.8 - 57.7 mpg imp) in the EU test cycle (CO2 emissions: 119 - 129 grams per kilometre, depending on the gearbox and tyre format specified).
The selection of diesel power plants available for the Sedan and Touring includes two four-cylinder variants - fitted in the BMW 520d producing 135 kW/184 hp and the BMW 525d with 160 kW/218 hp - and three six-cylinder units. With average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres (62.8 mpg imp) and CO2 emissions of 119 grams per kilometre, the new BMW 520d matches the figures of the 520d EfficientDynamics Edition it replaces.
Further up the range, the BMW 530d develops 190 kW/258 hp and the BMW 535d produces 230 kW/313 hp. And rounding off the line-up are two M Performance cars: the BMW M550d xDrive Sedan and BMW M550d xDrive Touring. They also use a 3.0-litre straight-six engine deploying M TwinPower Turbo technology with three turbochargers to deliver unrivalled peak output of 280 kW/381 hp and maximum torque of 740 Newton metres (546 lb-ft). Three diesel engines are available for the new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, powering the BMW 520d Gran Turismo, BMW 530d Gran Turismo and BMW 535d Gran Turismo.
Even more powerful, even more efficient: the V8 engine for the BMW 5-Series
The new generation of the V8 engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology for the BMW 5-Series model family takes to the stage armed with a 10 per cent rise in output yet also significantly reduced fuel consumption. The eight-cylinder unit, found under the bonnet of the BMW 550i Sedan, BMW 550i Touring and BMW 550i Gran Turismo, now also combines its two twin-scroll turbochargers and High Precision Direct Injection with VALVETRONIC fully variable valve control. The power plant generates 330 kW/450 hp and maximum torque of 650 Newton metres (479 lb-ft) from its 4.4-litre displacement. The new BMW 550i Sedan, for example, sweeps from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.6 seconds. Its average fuel economy in the EU test cycle stands at 8.6 - 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres (32.9 - 32.1 mpg imp). CO2 emissions come in at 199 - 206 g/km, depending on the tyre format specified.
The Sedan and Touring variants of the BMW 520i, BMW 528i, BMW 535i, BMW 518d, BMW 520d and BMW 525d are fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard. Each of those models can also be specified as an option with the extremely fast and precise, not to mention extraordinarily efficient, eight-speed automatic transmission provided as standard for the BMW 550i, BMW 530d and 535d, as well as all variants of the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo. The eight-speed automatic now comes with a coasting function and can also be ordered with shift paddles on the steering wheel. Shift paddles are also included with the eight-speed sports automatic transmission, a standard feature of the BMW M550d xDrive, which stands out with its ultra-impressive shift dynamics.
Additional models with BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive
The selection of engine variants that can be combined with the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system has also been expanded. The BMW 520d xDrive Sedan and BMW 520d xDrive Touring are both new additions to the range, the electronically controlled distribution of drive between the front and rear axle giving them a noticeable increase in traction and directional stability, not to mention an even sharper dynamic edge through quickly taken corners.
All-wheel drive is also available as an option for the Sedan and Touring versions of the BMW 528i, BMW 535i, BMW 525d, BMW 530d and BMW 535d, and the BMW 550i Sedan. The M Performance cars channel the power from their six-cylinder diesel engines through all four wheels as standard. All the models in the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo line-up - with the exception of the BMW 520d - can be ordered with xDrive.
State-of-the-art chassis technology delivers dynamics and comfort to order
The fine-tuning carried out on the chassis for the new BMW 5-Series models makes for an even more assured conversion of engine power into dynamic performance and ride comfort. Both the double-wishbone front axle and the integral rear axle are made largely from aluminium. They allow the spring and damper systems to respond with great precision to inconsistencies in the road surface and ensure optimum road holding at all times. The overall result is a balance between sporting ability and ride comfort that no rival can better. What's more, the car's set-up can be adapted to suit individual needs or the driving situation at hand using the standard-fitted Driving Experience Control switch on the centre console. Pressing the button changes the driving mode, altering the responses of the accelerator and steering, as well as - if fitted - the shift characteristics of the automatic gearbox and the settings of the electronically controlled dampers.
