What_Car_UK_-_August_2020

22 August 2020 whatcar.com

FIRST LOOK

THEBMW5 Seriesis oneofthoserarethings:

a carthat’salwaysatorverynearthetopof

itsclass.Indeed,in itsvariousformsit haswon

moreWhatCar?awardsthananyothermodel,

andit’stheonlycarthathaseverreceiveda

lifetimeachievementawardfromus.

Partofthereasonforthissustainedsuccess

is BMW’shabitofupdatingthe5 Seriesbefore

it reallyneedsto.Therefore,it comesasno

surprisetoseethat,despitestillbeingour

favouriteluxurycar,the5 Serieshasbeengiven

refreshedlooksandadditionaltechnology,in

bothsaloonandTouringestateguises.

Perhapsthemostobviouschangeis at

thefront,wherethegrillehasbeenenlarged

in anefforttomakethecarappearmore

imposing.Butfortunately,it stopsshortof

beingoversized– unliketheonesonthe

latest7 SerieslimousineandX7luxurySUV,

RIVALS

AudiA6

Quiet,classyand

spacious,but

theinfotainment

systemis ddlyto

useonthemove.

Mercedes-Benz

E-Class

Smoothridingbut

moreexpensiveto

runthan5 Series.A

faceliftis imminent.

After adding an efciency-enhancing mild

hybrid system to the 520d diesel last year,

BMW has now tted this to most of the other

conventional engines as well. The exception

is the 523bhp 4.4-litre V8 in a new M550i

performance model, which accelerates from

0-62mph in 3.8sec.

Alternatively, if you’re more concerned

about lowering your tax bill, there’s a new

six-cylinder 545e plug-in hybrid, which will

be sold alongside the existing four-cylinder

530e. And from November, the two hybrid

saloons will be joined by a 530e Touring estate.

This model should match the 41-mile electric-

only range of the equivalent saloon, while the

545e saloon is capable of 35 miles of zero-

emissions driving between charges.

Prices have actually fallen slightly

compared with the existing model, with the

cheapest version – the 520i SE – now costing

£37,480 and our favoured 520d SE coming

in at £38,500. Both should be available with

sizeable discounts from the word go, too, if

you use our online New Car Buying service.

which just remind you of a child wearing

their father’s clothes.

You also get wider and taller air intakes

in the front bumper, whether you stick with

entry-level SE trim or upgrade to M Sport.

Meanwhile, LED lights are standard front and

rear, and the options list includes super-bright

laser headlights that increase the range of

illumination to 600 metres and bring distinctive,

L-shaped daytime running lights.

The ‘bigger is better’ theme continues inside,

where a 12.3in infotainment screen replaces

the old 10.25in unit. This is allied to a faster

operating system, Apple CarPlay and Android

Auto phone mirroring and, for the rst time in a

BMW, remote software updates.

Elsewhere, the list of standard equipment

now includes power-folding door mirrors,

electrically adjustable lumbar support on the

front seats and a Parking Assistant system,

which can steer the car into spaces for you

and reverse it for distances of up to 50 metres.

This comes on top of leather upholstery,

heated front seats, dual-zone climate control,

ambient interior lighting, a DAB radio, sat-nav

and cruise control. Meanwhile, M Sport cars

get sportier details such as bigger wheels,

black rather than chrome exterior trim and a

dark roof lining.

To start with, there will also be a new M Sport

Edition (limited to 1000 cars globally), featuring

bespoke 20in wheels in place of the regular

M Sport’s standard 18s, a boot spoiler, tinted

glass and two paint colours that aren’t

available on other 5 Series variants: Tanzanite

Blue and Donington Grey. However, you’ll have

to be a big fan of one of these to justify the

£3500 premium over the regular M Sport.

BMW 5 Series

Our favourite luxury car gets refreshed looks, extra standard kit

and more efcient engines On sale Now Price from £37,480

Infotainment upgrades include a new 12.3in screen

Steve Huntingford

[email protected]