New Car: 2011 BMW 5-Series


It’s official, the all-new 5-Series is here! A consistent class-leader since it was introduced back in 1972, the sixth-generation of the ‘5’ promises to be every bit as revolutionary as its forbearers. Auto Express was at an exclusive unveiling of the car in Munich to bring you these first official images and all the details that matter.

With this car it’s clear that BMW has put the Chris Bangle days behind it. The controversial ex chief designer brought his unique brand of love it or loathe it styling to the last 5-Series, but BMW has kept things more conventional this time around. Gone is the awkward boot lip, replaced instead by cleaner lines and tidy proportions, with only two main creases running along the side of the car.

In the flesh the low bonnet and shark-like nose give it a sportier and more elegant look than the formal styling of the outgoing model. In fact it appears more like a bigger brother for the 3-series than a down-sized version of the 7-Series we all expected. Something which Adrian van Hooydonk , design chief for the BMW Group claims is a coincidence: “It looks closer to the 3-Series because we’ve taken a sportier direction with the design. In turn, the design for the new 3-Series will have to be even sportier,” he revealed.

A wheelbase of 2,968 millimetres, the longest in its class, translates to an additional 13 millimetres of leg room in the rear – just one highlight in a much improved cabin. The trademark angled centre console – puts the focus firmly on the driver, while an optional glass sunroof floods the cabin with light. The major design cues, such as the widescreen display and black-panel technology, which appears to be a piece of interior trim when the air-con is not in use and lights up magically when you turn it on, are lifted from the 5-Series GT. But whereas the GT focuses on light and space, the 5-Series is a cosier cockpit-style affair, hinting at its dynamic capabilities.