With a big chunk of gross sales driving on the BMW 5 Collection, the eighth-generation sedan walks the high-quality line between being distinctive and too daring.

Its sharply creased and angular new physique contrasts fairly sharply with the smoother, rounder shapes of the smaller 3 Series.

Whereas it shares comparable physique surfacing and design parts with the 7 Series, the brand new 5er misses out on the range-topping sedan’s cut up headlight therapy, and its planet devouring double kidney grille.

All up, it’s the sharpest and most avant-garde 5 Collection design because the Chris Bangle-penned ‘E60’ that was launched in 2003.

Measuring 5060mm lengthy, 1900mm vast, 1515mm tall, and driving on a 2995mm wheelbase, the most recent 5 Collection is 97mm longer, 32mm wider, 36mm taller, and has a 20mm longer wheelbase than the outgoing mannequin.

Boot capability is rated at 520L for petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid fashions, dropping to 490 within the all-electric i5 fashions. A rear bench with a 40:20:40 cut up is commonplace throughout your entire vary.

Manufacturing of the 5 Collection will happen on the mannequin’s long-term house in Dingolfing, Germany. The sedan will even be produced on the BMW Brilliance manufacturing unit in Dadong, China, though that automotive shall be a “market-specific variant”, in all probability together with an extended wheelbase model.

Deliveries in Europe and different key markets start in October 2023.

Drivetrains

The brand new 5er is offered for the primary time with the choice of a completely electrical drivetrain. Complementing the all-electric i5 fashions are a number of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines, with two plug-in hybrid drivetrains set to grow to be accessible globally from the second quarter of 2024.

Each i5 drivetrains have a 400V electrical system, and a 81.2kWh battery pack which helps three-phase AC charging up 22kW, and DC quick charging up 205kW.

There are a big selection of petrol engine choices within the new 5 Collection, however Europe is just receiving the bottom 520i with a 48V delicate hybrid.

The non-hybrid 520i, extra highly effective delicate hybrid 530i, and six-cylinder 540i 48V delicate hybrid are reserved for markets, just like the US, the place there aren’t strict fleet emission caps.

For Europe there’s additionally a diesel choice, however in an indication of the gasoline declining reputation there’s just one tune accessible at launch.

The 520d has a 48V delicate hybrid 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine making 145kW and 400Nm. It has a 0-100km/h time of seven.3 seconds in each rear- or all-wheel drive guises.

Ranging from the second quarter of 2024, the 5 Collection will even be accessible with two plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Each function a 19.4kWh battery pack, and DC quick charging up 7.4kW — twice the present automotive’s pace.

All petrol and diesel 5 Collection fashions have a typical eight-speed computerized transmission, and all inside combustion engines are geared up with a turbocharger.

As with the i4/4 Collection and i7/7 Collection, the i5 and 5 Collection journey on a model of the CLAR structure that helps inside combustion, plug-in hybrid, and pure EV drivetrains.

Towing capability is alleged to be 2000kg on some fashions, together with the bottom 520i and range-topping i5 M60 xDrive.

Inside and tools

At with different latest BMW automobiles, the subsequent 5 Collection has a dashboard that’s dominated by a curved show space housing a 12.3-inch instrumentation display, and a 14.9-inch touchscreen working BMW Working System 8.5, which will be up to date over-the-air.

The Linux-based OS helps each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, in addition to video streaming through the YouTube, Bundesliga and TiVo apps.

New to the 5 Collection is AirConsole, a setup which permits informal video games, akin to quizzes, kart racing and puzzles, to be performed between passengers through their smartphones.

The elective Digital Key permits Android smartphone, Apple Watch, and iPhone customers to entry and begin their automobiles and not using a bodily key fob.

Beneath the curved display space and working alongside the door playing cards is an “interplay bar” with ambient lighting, and lighting results for incoming calls and open doorways, in addition to capacitive controls for the vents, seat reminiscence features, and door locks. There are additionally capacitive buttons on the steering wheel spokes.

The usual steering wheel is a two-spoke affair, however a sportier three-spoke design is offered as a part of the M Sport bundle. A vegan-friendly inside with leather-like surfaces for the seats, dashboard, doorways, and arm rests is offered.

Additionally on the choices record is a brand new panoramic glass roof, which BMW claims has a 90 per cent bigger viewing space than within the present 5 Collection.

A six-speed sound system is commonplace, however consumers can improve to a 12-speaker 205W encompass system from Harmon Kardon. Huge spenders can wallow within the soundscape created by the top-shelf 18-speaker 655W Bowers & Wilkins audio system. There are two USB-C ports up entrance, and two USB-C ports within the rear.

Relying on the drivetrain, trim line and fitted packages, the 5 Collection rides on alloy wheels sized anyplace between 18 and 21 inches.

Stroke-dependent damping is commonplace on the i5 and plug-in hybrid fashions, whereas adaptive suspension, a lowered journey peak, energetic roll stabilisation, energetic roll consolation, and improved brakes are all a part of an in depth menu of customisation.

Driver help

Stage 2 autonomous driving is offered in some markets, akin to Germany, the US, and Canada, and it permits hands-free/eyes-on-the-road driving on choose divided highways.

In what’s claimed to be a world first, the Lively Lane Change Assistant can counsel a lane change process, and the motive force can settle for by merely wanting on the wing mirror.

For sure markets a lane return operate has been added to the lane departure warning system, which routinely strikes the automotive again absolutely into the present lane if it thinks there’s a excessive danger of an accident.

Parking help, and a panoramic reversing digicam view at the moment are commonplace all through the 5 Collection vary. The elective Parking Help Skilled bundle provides a 360-degree digicam view that may be seen within the automotive, or remotely through a smartphone app.

Drivers may elect to manage or begin a parking manoeuvre remotely through the smartphone app, which might be helpful in notably tight conditions. The bundle additionally features a drive and anti-theft recording system, and the power to steer itself for 200m in reverse alongside a beforehand traversed stretch of highway.

MORE: Everything BMW 5 Series