The larger 2017 BMW 5-Series boasts enough room for five adults and 4 golf bags.
From a visual standpoint, BMW has gone the evolutionary route with the new 2017 5-Series, according to both leaked and official images. That’s likely no surprise considering the strong success of the outgoing model.
That said, design chief Adrian van Hooydonk and his team have given the new 5-er some distinctive details so it doesn’t continue to look like just the middle child sandwiched between the ever-popular 3-Series and brand-defining 7-Series.
From the spec sheet and background information the Bavarian marque has provided, it looks there’s going to be a lot to like. The 2017 BMW 5-Series promises to be slightly larger yet notably lighter, with improved performance and handling. And for technology fans, there’ll be an array of new features, including iDrive 6.0 and more driver assistance systems.
While it lags behind the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the BMW 5-Series has long been a strong contender in the midsize luxury segment. About 7.6 million of the various versions have been sold since the line was launched back in 1972, about 1 million of those in the U.S. alone.
The new 5-er will cut as much as 0.7 seconds off the old model's 0 to 60 times.
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While the 3-Series sells more, and the 7-Series offers more room, technology and prestige, the 5-Series has plenty of fans who feel it brings together the perfect balance of performance and refinement. That set a tough bogey for the maker to meet this time.
To pull things together, it began with the same basic CLAR platform, or “Cluster Architecture,” introduced with the latest 7-Series. It gets more aluminum than the outgoing model, known in BMW circles as the F10. So, even while it is slightly longer and wider – albeit a wee bit lower – the new BMW 5-Series will shed as much as 137 pounds of mass, depending upon the model.
That will almost certainly translate into improved performance and fuel economy once official numbers are available. Other factors will also help, including the new active kidney grille slats that close down when less air is needed in the engine compartment. And, like other recent models, the 5-Series will get Air Curtains to reduce turbulence around the front wheels. The technology also is said to reduce high-speed lift.
Visually, the 2017 BMW 5-Series retains the basic coupe-like roofline of the outgoing model, as well as the classic long hood. The kidney grille has a lower, wider appearance, helping give the car a grounded look. Cats-eye LED headlamps further contribute to that planted feel. Those adaptive headlamps will be standard equipment for 2017.
The new car's mass drops up to 137 pounds.
“For the first time, the new BMW 5 Series Sedan brings together two traditional BMW design elements which are normally separate from one another,” explained Karim Habib, head of BMW Automobiles design.
“The swage line turns up as it heads rearwards,” he adds, “moving from shadow to light and sweeping up the Hofmeister kink in its path rather than continuing into the rear. This upwards motion lends the car a forward-surging character, and the expressive, swooping surface imbues it with an undeniable muscularity.”
American motorists will see the sedan version of the 5-er. It’s uncertain whether BMW might, at some point, take a hint from rival Mercedes and bring the wagon over to the U.S., as well.
Under that long hood, BMW will slip in any of a number of different gas and diesel engines, depending upon the market. And, for the first time, there will be a plug-in hybrid option, the Bavarians intent on sharing technology from the little i sub-brand with the rest of its mainstream line-up.
A bigger rear split/fold seat.
The conventional powertrains will include all-new 4- and 6-cylinder TwinPower Turbo gas engines, the six getting an additional 35 hp compared to the powertrain it replaces. Launch times from 0 to 60 will drop by as much as 0.7 seconds with the BMW 540i xDrive all-wheel-drive model.
Inside, BMW claims to have offered more space – rear legroom, for example, extends 1.2 inches over the old F10 model. At 18.7 cubic feet, the trunk will now be large enough to carry four golf bags.
The instrument panel is lower, with a freestanding display. There’s more technology, whether you’re talking about the standard, 16-way front sports seats with massage function, or the updated iDrive 6.0. There’s not only the familiar knob but also a touchpad controller, and the 2017 BMW 5-Series gets both an updated voice control system but the Gesture Control technology pioneered on the new 7-Series launched last year.
Adrian van Hooydonk, the global BMW design chief, is a fan of Head-Up Display, and there’ll be an updated system offering more information than before, including real-time traffic alerts.
The navigation system, incidentally, links to the car’s transmission so shifts can be based on road topography, as well as driver input.
The 2017 BMW 550i's MPerformance engine.
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This will be the most connected car BMW has ever offered. It will introduce a variety of cloud-based features and will even be able to link up with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. Among other things, that will let you operate a variety of home automation devices.
As for safety gear, the new 5-er gets pretty much the full suite we first saw on the 7-Series, including Active Cruise Control with the ability to stop and go in heavy traffic.
Pricing will likely not be released until the new 5-Series goes on sale next year.
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