New BMW 5 Series Review: Should Mercedes Be Worried?

After the i5 electric sedan in April, its combustion engine counterpart is finally here. The legendary 5 Series sedan. One of the reasons for the delay? BMW succumbed to the pressure and decided to get us the China special. The eighth generation of the BMW 5 Series sedan is finally in India. I say it like that because the whole world got it last year. And this is the G60, which is what the internal designation for the car is. But the one we get is the G68 because it's the long wheelbase. China got that last year too. We had to wait because of the right-hand drive and the CKD requirement in India. Now the car is finally here. So let's talk a little bit about it, though I have to say that a lot is riding on this for BMW in India.

Why? Well, because you do know that with the previous generation E-Class, Mercedes-Benz struck a chord with this market by introducing a long-wheelbase version of the car. Now, at the time, BMW never had that car, though China had it too in the previous generation, the G30. But now that it's finally here, what makes it special? And is it good enough to topple what's become the segment darling?

New BMW 5 Series: Exterior Design

A new generation always gets a new face and the headlamp cluster is the first thing I want to talk about. It's very modern. It does have all those elements you need. Matrix LED, really thick DRLs, which are no longer rings, but you still have the four-eye BMW look, and there is a lot of detail in here. There's a little bit of aluminium and a nice blue texture. It gives the car a very nice character and it looks pretty high-end.

Now, the bumper is fairly sporty looking, the grille, not as large as you may have feared with a new generation of any BMW. We've seen a lot of other cars getting a more flared-out front grille, which also lights up at night, creating a signature in the dark. This one is, I think, within control and it has a very thick overall border to those kidneys. It does look pretty upmarket, and I think people will like it. Of course, the trim will vary depending on which version of the car you decide to go with.

Come to the side and you start to see a lot of work in the metal on the hood. It's got a lot of character, and a lot of muscle. I like that and it also houses the BMW logo nicely in the front. The wheels are just 18 inches, I say that because other markets get much larger wheels. That's the standard wheel size for India. You do have 19-inch as an option. But you know, with these 18 inches, the car, it just tends to look a little small, that wheel, especially with a fat rubber wall. But hey, those are the standard ones. Now, run-flat tyres, BMW is moving away from them, so this car doesn't get them.

I mentioned long wheelbase and so, of course, most of that extra length is in here, in the wheelbase, 130 millimetres. Overall, the length is 212 millimetres longer than the regular car. But I have to say that the previous generation had a long wheelbase for China and the wheelbase is the same. So, they haven't made that bigger. Having said that, it now sits on the cluster architecture, of this car, which is the same as the 7 Series. So, overall, this is the biggest 5 Series yet. It's never been this big. It is the biggest sedan that we've seen. No 6 Series, remember. So, body styles are only sedan and long wheelbase and then, of course, the touring, which is the station wagon.

This section of all BMWs is called the Hofmeister kink. It's really large and very, very different to what you'd expect from BMW, a huge 5. I guess that's a bit of a China special coming to us. Very uncharacteristic. And if you think that's overdone, look at what's going on in this rear bumper. Now, the ICE version, which is a short wheelbase or regular wheelbase and the i5, the EV version, this concave surface travels into the low bumper and it's kind of finished off in a dark black kind of matte finish. That's a characteristic of this car styling. But on the long wheelbase, you get a body-coloured bumper and then these two, let's call them faux tailpipes. I don't know what they're going for because it's bold. It's overdone.

And depending on the trim, you either get this aluminium finish or a bronze finish. I don't know what they're going for with that, but it's really overdone and completely unnecessary. Now, the 530 badging with the “i” tells you that this is the petrol, “L” tells you it's a long wheelbase. And of course, this part, the nice sleek LEDs rounds it off quite nicely. Promising enough start, now let’s go inside.

New BMW 5 Series: Interior

In many ways, the cabin of this car is very reminiscent of the 7 Series. It's like a mini 7 Series and the crystalline elements that you saw from the iX, well, they continue into this car. You see a lot of glassy elements all around, including the ambient lighting. Well, right here in the dash above the wood, you have this nice edgy, crystalline look where, of course, the entire thing lights up depending on your preference for ambient light. I have it set on green right now. What's nice is when you put the hazard lights on, for example, everything turns red. So it is kind of dynamic in that way. And it kind of brings the front of the cabin to life. So does this huge curved screen display. That's part of the new BMW iDrive, the eighth generation. But this one is 8.5 OS. It goes ahead. It has more updates than what we've seen in the past.

And so 14.9-inch touchscreen and almost 13-inch instrument cluster. It's all very well finished. The graphics, everything that you see on this, it's well done. Lots of different apps, lots of options, connectivity as well, in-built SIM and over-the-air updates, ADAS, you name it, the car has all of that. This front seat is extremely comfortable. You do get seat ventilation in the front, but you don't have seat ventilation at the back. And you also don't have seat warming. Now, of course, climate control system and very interesting looking AC vents like the 7 Series. All that is par for the course. This panel here is like a touch panel again from the iX, the different drive modes. You've got the rotary dial, which is finished in the crystalline finish again.

The other good thing is the quality of graphics and just everything you look and see in front of you as a driver. It's too bad there's no head-up display because the competition has been trying to bring a lot of that kind of stuff. But what's nice is that lots is going on with the screen. And it's how nice it all looks. It's just animated so beautifully. Even things like the trip computer, you put on the indicator, you see that going off on the screen as well on the car that's there. And, you know, even simple things like the AC controls, just the flow of air, everything. It's just beautifully done. Very well executed. That part works.

Ambient lighting on the cup holders, a wireless charger for your phone, a little bit of a bin, huge sunroof. And then again, that same element of glass continues into the door. What's nice is that some of these controls are just sort of touch controls. Even up here, when you see things like, you know, the rear defogger, it's just a sort of a touch control. And that's nicely done. Very well finished. Bowers & Wilkins sound system. Again, there's an in-lit element to that with the ambient lighting. If you go for the aluminium trim, you get what you see here. You go for the bronze trim and all of this kind of turns, well, bronzy gold.

But you’re here not to hear me talk about the cabin. So let’s get on the road.

New BMW 5 Series: Engine & Transmission

Okay, now let's talk about some of the good stuff. Now, compare this car to the previous generation and thankfully the change is very obvious. It feels a whole lot better because it feels a little bit more mature. There's nothing wrong with the last car, don't get me wrong. But yes, the marked difference is very apparent. So when you compare it to the competition, that's where I had all the issues about what it doesn't have. When you compare it to the previous car, it will seem better. It's got a more planted feeling and of course, that steering. I was talking about it earlier. It's nice and precise, especially when you manoeuvre quick lane changes. And you start to see that there's a lot of confidence in how the car reacts to you. The fact that this feels better even with the long wheelbase was the most reassuring part for me.

There's a certain simplicity in the previous names that you had for the drive modes. Now it's kind of gotten just a little too complicated. I understand efficiency, I understand sport. But personal, okay, it's like an individual and then you've got expressive and relaxed and silent. But at least you can see the differences. They do kind of show up, especially when you put it into sport. Now It certainly does accelerate much quicker. You get a very slight hesitation from the lag. But otherwise, really nice in terms of how quickly this engine punches forward. It would have been a lot better, obviously, with the larger engine. But what I like is the Sport mode, especially when you put the gearbox into S as well. It also sounds nice. Those revs kind of encourage you to push the car a little bit. And in a BMW, that's a good thing.

And if that wasn't enough for you, don't forget it's a mild hybrid system that the car comes with. And what that does for you is give you a little bit of extra power, 17 bhp and 200 Nm, when you need it. How do you get it? You use the left-side paddle shifter, keep it pressed for about three seconds, and a little timer goes off on the screen there, where you're getting that extra power for 10 seconds, literally as a boost.

New BMW 5 Series: Ride & Handling

Drive dynamics on any BMW are always very sorted, and I'm happy to report it's no different on this one. But, that's about it. What I'm trying to say is, there's nothing that stands out and impresses you. You know, with each new generation of each new driver's sedan from BMW, you always had a bit of a smile on your face that got wider. On this one, it's about as wide as the last car, because the basic things are in place. You've got a nice suspension feel. The steering is the big redeeming factor. I was going to come to it later, but let me just tell you straight away. Steers very nicely. And, that's despite the long wheelbase. But, there's nothing extra that's been thrown in. I mean, no xDrive, the all-wheel drive. There is no M Sport suspension, no air suspension, and no active steering, that is the rear-wheel steering. You know, like none of these options which you think, hey, when you're bringing me this flagship product, you're making it a long wheelbase, you're going to throw a lot of bells and whistles in. You don't even get the blind spot or the blind view monitor camera on this car. So it takes a few boxes, it does a fair amount, but it doesn't do enough to impress you.

The 8-speed gearbox works very well. The car does not feel sluggish, but I'm going to go back to that point that I would have loved to see the 3.0-litre inline-six and not just the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. You also have to wonder what happened to that plan of also having diesel always. Maybe later on we might see a diesel, though again on the long wheelbase. Don't hold your breath.

Alright, with the criticism out of the way, let's talk about the good bits or expand on them. Acceleration is smooth, power delivery is very linear and nice, and of course, the steering that I mentioned earlier. You can make quick lane changes very nicely and easily, and the car is nimble. The steering is very precise. And of course, if you want a little more excitement, you go into the drive modes and get into sport. Higher revs straight away. The response is quick.

There's a tiny touch of a lag, but on the whole, you get to high speeds nice and quick. With a whole load of passengers and luggage, though, things could be a little bit different. That's where we again come back to the whole 3.0-litre argument. You'll find the car is very comfortable on long drives. That's something that won't be a problem. That's something that you expect from a 5 Series and you'll get it on this one. But the big question is, how does it behave in the back seat? And for that, I finally have to let go of the driver's seat, don't I? Let me get into the back.

New BMW 5 Series: Rear Seat Space

Well, you know what, when you think long wheelbase, the first thought is about space. And it's got that covered. Lots of legroom, a great amount of headroom, and shoulder room. The seat's very comfortable, too. Nice angle. It's plum. It's well-finished. That part is totally fine. But then you've got very little else going on. You start to notice that it's very spartan because, of course, you've got the drop-down armrest and it makes things more comfortable.

It does have, thank God, a wireless charger for your phone. Press a button and the section slides out. You've got two cup holders here. You do have A/C controls down here. There's a little panel which lets you adjust temperature and speed. But there's no little screen here, which, you know, lets you control all of that. The seats don't recline. Forget about massage and not even a sunshade on this window. So then you've got to wonder, you know, I mean, there's no individual rear seat entertainment. The saving grace is the fact that the seats are very comfortable, wrapped in vegan leather available in two colour options.

Of course, there is the provision to add screens aftermarket. But where is that whole oomph factor? You went long wheelbase because presumably, you wanted to enhance comfort and luxury. So where are all those features? The good news? Material quality is really good. You've got a nice sound system and ambient lighting. But got to ask that question. Where is all the stuff that buyers might expect? Optional equipment is probably the answer to that question. And I expect Mercedes-Benz to watch closely and decide to load up its upcoming long-wheelbase E-Class sedan.

New BMW 5 Series: Verdict

So, the new 5 series is priced at ₹72.90 lakh (ex-showroom, India). There will be just one variant for now. So, here’s hoping that a more luxurious and better-loaded variant is offered down the road. And let’s also hope that it either has a diesel or a hybrid powertrain under the hood.

Photography By: Apoorv Choudhary