his new Five has a tough brief to live up to. Deliver all the driving goodness hardline BMW loyalists expect and remove the firm ride issues associated with the outgoing Five;

and don’t compromise either. Keep weight down, but make it supple; and don’t trade-off either.

If there’s one automotive sweetspot most car makers have to hit, it’s that balance between all the above. There’s never been a magical set of ingerdients, but many of the past Fives have done better than most in that aspect. This one takes a new approach at maintaining

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BMW 5-SERIESNEW FIVE’S UNEXCITING LOOKS HIDE AN ACCOMPLISHED (OPTIONAL) CHASSIS

An impressive feat of engineering……but incomplete without chassis options

Engine In-line 6-cyl, 2979cc, turboMax power 302bhp @ 5800rpmMax torque 295lb ft @ 1200-5000rpmTop speed 250kph (limited) 0-100kph 6.1sec (claimed)Price c$74,000On sale Now

Specification (535i SE)

evo RATING

its self-worth.Firstly, the styling. Or rather lack of it.

Bangle caused a bit of a stir with the last edgy Five, and this time it’s the same but in the opposite direction. It’s a touch too toned down and blends too easily with other saloons on the road. The bulge running from the front wheel arch, through the door handles just below the shoulder line is the only marked appeal here, the rest of the Five seeming nonplussed. The net effort looks like a baby 7-Seris

Underneath, the wheelbase has been increased by 80mm and aluminium is now used in the front wings, doors, bonnet and suspension components. Parts of the

construction are shared with the 7-Series and the rest is steel. As a whole, it’s both stiffer and lighter, although it’s a touch heavier this time round.

To get both spectrums of ride, there’s double wishbones at the front instead of MacPherson struts, and the rear is a five-link setup (an extra link this time, to minimise lift and nosedive). Coupled with the optional adaptive dampers and Dynamic Drive Control, there’s no trade-off between ride and responsiveness. An ECU at each damper adjusts compression and rebound independently, so it reacts to road conditions quickly. The Portugese launch wasn’t blessed with clear skies, but if anything, the narrow

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‘REAR STEERING MAKES THE 5-SERIES

VERY POINTABLE’

Optional iPhone dock resides between the front seats; rear wheels turn up to 2.5 degrees to improve agility

country lanes provided a solid demonstration of the trust you can put in the chassis’ ability to adjust to varying surfaces – even on wet and uneven roads.

The technological barrage is carried to the steering. The BMW faithful will snigger at the decision to dump the hydraulic system in favour of an electric one (blame the need to cut emissions for that one), no doubt worrying about weight and feedback. Though not completely matching the old system, the variable Servotronic is feelsome, increasing in weight nicely through corners. Changes in ratio are almost imperceptible and with the new Integral Active Steering, you slowly begin to appreciate how little arm-crossing is needed. The rear wheels counter-steer below 60kph to reduce the turning circle, and move in the direction of the front wheels at higher speeds, making it very pointable.

This Five isn’t a small car, it doesn’t shrink around you as quickly as the E60. Things are made harder still by the disappearing front corners that fall away from you, but in Sport or Sport Plus mode, all the systems in full play, it’s the class-leading driving tool you’d expect: stable and unruffled. And that choppy ride has gone too.

On the few laps I got around the Estoril racetrack, some mild skidding confirmed you can still play should the mood take you, despite the stability control-ruled simulated LSD. As ever, the brakes are feelsome, adjustable and fade-free. The updates here are composite front pads and a few aids like Brake Drying and Brake Fade Compensation. In short, there’s no need to hold your breath any longer, the Five is still ‘a driver’s car’.

The Middle East will get three engine options: the 528i (258bhp in-line four), 535i (302bhp) and the 550i with an E39 M5-beating 407bhp V8. The 535i may be one turbo down on the last Five, but it’s the first time it’s been mated to a direct injected engine with Valvetronic variable cam timing and lift. Thanks to the 7-Series eight-speed auto you’ll find no turbo lag, less fuel consumption and a flat torque curve - as you’d expect from BMW’s in-line six.

Thankfully, the conventional F1-style paddles have been reintroduced instead of the unintuitive push-and-pull switches. Ironically, there’s now little point in using them: you get lost trying to keep track of the ratios.

You’ll have to keep an eye on your wallet, though. The European journos on the launch who drove the 530d, with no active anti-roll bars and no rear-wheel steering, reported a far more subdued driving experience, one that’s ‘lacking that BMWness and makes the car feel heavy’, as one of them put it.

As evo went to press, BMW was reluctant to announce figures, but $5000 would be a conservative estimate for those much-needed chassis options. If you don’t mind the extra expense, the Five will remain the accomplished driving proposition.

Dimitri Pesin

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