BMW’s best selling model in India last year was the 5 Series. It is easy to see why buyers in the luxury saloon market chose the 5 Series. It is not as big and unwieldy (in some cities) as the long-wheelbase 7 Series and it is not as small as the 3 Series. It has the right amount of space and equipment to keep back benchers happy. For a model that is bigger, plusher and offering a better ride than the 3, the 5 Series was also not much more expensive either.

So, why bother now with a mid-generation model change. Certainly, I’m not complaining, because I personally didn’t like the design of some of the exterior features in the 2010 model – the headlamps being one of them. But the 2014 model launched globally for the current sixth generation 5 Series is still a considerable upgrade upping the features list too and delivering a mix which should be more appealing for owners who are looking for some amount of self-driving at least during the weekends.

The 5 Series was always an executive sedan, even in the Indian context. But its specialty lay in the split-personality-like ability to also offer an engaging driving experience if the driver so desired. Of course, the M5 took the equation to a whole different level all together. Three and a half years into the current generation, the 5 Series gets an upgrade and here are my impressions after testing the 530d on the roads in and around the National Capital Region.

Changes in and out

First off, the design of the features at the front of the 2014 model is much more suave. A lot of the design has been borrowed and expanded from the M5. The new headlamps feature Xenon lights as standard and there is the optional adaptive LED package (cornering, auto dimming etc). The front bumper and the kidney grille are new too and contribute some more to the shark-nose effect.

The new design air-intakes in the front bumper with chrome garnishes around the LED fog lamps give the new 5 Series a sportier and plusher appearance at the front. At the rear too, though the design seems to be a carry forward, a few changes to the tail-lamp like the thinner, more defined L-shaped LED tubes and the new chrome line design elements in the rear bumper are evident when you compare it side-by-side with the 2012 model.

The interior of the new 2014 BMW 5 Series is also very much like the previous version, with the additions focused on pushing up the luxury feel and features list. The top trim variants get the iDrive controller with a touch-sensitive top surface, so you can simply scribble the letters with your fingers and the letter or commands will be recognised.

The 10.25-inch black LCD, multi-function display and the colour-changing ambient lighting are the other highlights in the new 5’s cabin. In COMFORT mode the instrument display depicts a classical combination of four circular instruments. A magnifying glass function highlights the car’s current speed and revs. In ECO PRO mode the rev counter morphs into an EfficientDynamics display. In SPORT mode the speedometer shows the car’s speed digitally in the form of a large central figure, while the gear currently engaged is displayed in the centre of the rpm counter.

The new 5 Series comes in three design schemes and three engine options, with a number of other personalisation choices. The design schemes are Luxury Line, Modern Line and the M Sport package (offered exclusively in the 530d variant).

Frugal performance

The big change in the 2014 BMW 5 Series is its improved fuel efficiency, much of which will be available only in the new ECO PRO mode, with the help of a combination of technologies like brake energy regeneration, a coasting function that cuts off engine braking and there is also a super efficient auto start/stop function that keeps a check on fuel wastage.

I tested the 530d M Sport which is offered with the 3-litre, straight-six (cylinder) diesel engine. The mill produces a peak power of 258 HP at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 540 Nm from 1,500 to 3,000 rpm. The engine is paired with the popular and extremely efficient 8-speed automatic transmission from BMW. The gearbox is really quick and also efficient. It works along with the engine and management system to ensure optimum efficiency under each of the three modes.

Changing the mode from ECO PRO to SPORT or SPORT PLUS also dramatically alters the driving characteristics with changes being effected to the accelerator responses, gear shift characteristics and steering response. Unfortunately, if it also alters the suspension and damper settings, the ride can get quite harsh. But in comfort mode, the suspension is the most accommodating, though BMW wouldn’t let that get too out of hand and affect the road-holding capability of the car.

The new 5 Series is also offered with two other engines, both of which are also diesel. The 520d sports a 1,995cc, four-cylinder engine that generates 184 HP of power and 380 Nm of torque. The 525d sports a slightly smaller, but more powerful 1,955cc diesel engine that puts out 218 HP of peak power and 450 Nm of torque.

Bottomline

There are features like the in-laid embellishments to the lacquered wood trim, comfy leather seats, the discreet ambient interior lighting and optional Harman Kardon audio system that point to the new 5 Series’ Executive sedan orientation. But, there are also the others like the new steering-mounted paddle shifters, the adaptive LED headlights and the Sport-Plus mode that also offer a glimpse of the car’s alter-ego. Younger buyers will love the combination.

The new 5 Series will miss a petrol engine in its portfolio, at least for now. But BMW can’t be faulted for offering only diesels when the demand in the segment is an overwhelming 90 per cent. Prices for the new 5 Series range from Rs 47 lakh to Rs 58 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. This is still the best executive sedan that is available in the market.

muralidhar.s@thehindu.co.in