High fives for BMW 5 Series’ hi-tech revamp

ONE of the perks of this job is the opportunity to follow a car’s progress from its early years on these shores.

For me, one such is the BMW 5 Series which was a true gamechanger when it charged on to the UK scene in the early 1970s.

With its punchy six-cylinder petrol engine it was a car that took no prisoners, being a somewhat demanding drive if you overpowered it on corners.

It was one of those cars that gave a lot and asked a lot, and I took it to heart and drove it with these considerations in mind.

In fact, that early BMW 5 Series taught me more about driving large fast saloons than any other at the time and I have always had great respect for it.

Soon the 5 Series became a true pioneer of the executive express and since then has become one of the top premium cars in Britain.

And its latest version has all the exciting allure of the original with a mind-boggling array of technology.

The seventh generation 5 Series, although still a substantial car, is much lighter than its predecessor, making great use of aluminium in construction.

Power is from is a new modular engine range featuring a lightweight thermodynamic allaluminium construction.

Handling is honed to a very advanced degree, using the car’s lighter weight to combine with a redesigned chassis and some highly intelligent engineering.

Years ago, cars sometimes sold on looks and power. But things have changed, with more focus being placed on the interior, with the types of driver who can afford a car like this demanding the very latest in terms of driver aids, connectivity and the like.

Needless to say that the test car did not come cheap with a price tag of £39,025 on the road, bumped up to £48,495 with a list of options including a Technology package which featured such goodies as a head-up display and Wi-Fi hotspot preparation. There was also an M Sport Plus package including some very classy 19-inch alloys.

Many are destined to be business cars, so this car’s enviable performance is laced with a 68.8 combined mpg figure and 114g/km CO2 emissions figure.

For its 190bhp output, the diesel unit of the 520d is capable of 146mph performance with a 7.5second 0-62mph sprint.

For me, one of the most significant features is the torque factor of 400Nm which has pulling power to impress the most demanding critic, aided of course by the car’s much lighter stance.