Motoring

Here’s what makes the new 5 Series better than its predecessor

By now, everyone’s seen the first official photos of the new, ‘G30’ generation of BMW 5 Series.

And, for the most part, the reception on how it moves the game on from its ‘F10’ predecessor has been pretty positive – you can tell a car is good at first glance when one of its only criticisms is that the interior’s quite similar to the more opulent 7 Series.

However, it’s only when you directly cross-examine the two most recent 5 Series iterations that you realise just how big a leap forward the G30 is.

The design of the G30 5er is more refined, more premium, yet just as sporty, if not even sportier.

The new 5 Series obtains much of its styling cues from the 7 Series.
The 2017 model grows 3.05cm longer overall, and the wheelbase increases by just 5.08cm, resulting in much bigger space.
The model comes with an optional Remote Parking system that was first introduced in the new BMW 7 Series. The system allows the car to be manoeuvred into tight parking spaces remotely using the car key.
The lower weight and new chassis tech should improve the 5 Series’ handling, and fuel consumption, too.
The company’s rear-wheel steering setup, which it calls Integral Active Steering, is available on all-wheel-drive models of the seventh-gen 5 Series.
The combination of Active Lane Keeping Assistant and Traffic Jam Assistant gives the 5 Series semi-autonomous driving capability.
The model comes equipped with iDrive 6.0 infotainment system that now features gesture control, a function introduced on the 7 Series sedan.

Overall, the new 5 Series looks better than the outgoing model on both the outside and on the inside. It’s a marked improvement in every aspect, whether that be design, luxury, technology or performance.

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The 2017 BMW 5 Series goes on sale in 2017, and we should find out more about pricing closer to its launch date.

– ntsakom@citizen.co.za