BMW’s new 5-series range is swelling to include a saloon, Touring estate and fastback GT – revealed today in our Five family scoop. Our artists have studied the first official pictures of the new BMW Concept 5-series Gran Turismo and decoded the design language to illustrate the new 5-series four-door and wagon pictured here. And you can see them in action in our 5-series spy video below.
The four-seat hatchback 5GT affords the first glimpse of the new 5-series family. Of particular note are the reprofiled headlamps with eyebrow LED day-running lights, the latest iteration of the double kidney grille and BMW’s gently softened metalwork. The 5-series saloon and Touring will have slightly different detailing, however.
Today’s E60 5-series ushered in design chief Chris Bangle’s surface entertainment, which shocked some at the time but time has mellowed its effect. Some critics, our own Gavin Green included, have even hailed the Five as Bangle’s best effort.
BMW 5-series (2010): the full story
We’ll leave you to judge the new style, revealed in our latest scoop shots, but most of the change is under the skin of the new 5-series codenamed F10 (saloon) and F11 (Touring). Unsurprisingly, Efficient Dynamics will be rolled out across the majority of engines, bringing stop-start and active alternator control to reduce engine load when not needed.
Our sources claim that a new eight-speed ZF transmission will appear on the new 5-series, offering an overdriven top cog to reduce execs’ blood pressure as well as exhaust emissions. It will also add stop-start functionality to six- and eight-cylinder models from 2010 (currently Efficient Dynamics is limited to manual four-cylinder models). Sportier versions are likely to adopt BMW’s new twin-clutch transmission pioneered on the latest M3.
The engine line-up expected in new 5-series runs thus:
• 523i – 2.5-litre straight six
• 530i – 3.0-litre straight six
• 540i – 3.0-litre straight six twin-turbo
• 550i – 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo
• M5 – 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo
• 520d – 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
• 530d – 3.0-litre straight-six turbo
• 535d – 3.0-litre straight-six twin-turbo
>> Click ‘Next’ for more of our scoop on the new 2010 BMW 5-series. See the 5-series in action in our video below
What about inside the new 2010 BMW 5-series?
We haven’t seen a full dashboard shot of the 5-series’ cabin yet, but the teaser shots above right sneak a quick look inside the interior. Black-panel technology is designed to cut down on reflections from the digital displays and the PAS show car’s 10.2-inch screen revives BMW’s driver focus by tilting towards the pilot.
What’s the point of the 5-series GT? BMW reckons families will stick with the Touring pictured, with its vast boot and simple tailgate, while avantgarde business types will pick the fastback. Its clever split boot offers the best of saloon hush and hatchback practicality, mixing the space of a 7-series with the slightly raised ride height of an X5. The GT boasts a huge 1650-litre boot.
When can I buy a new BMW 5-series?
The 5-series GT arrives first, in November 2009. We won’t see the Five saloon and Touring until March 2010 – but they will follow closely the look of the Gran Turismo concept which is a nearly-showroom-spec show car.
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