The current BMW 5 Series has been criticized by the press
and the public for being too soft compared to its more
driver-focused predecessors and many of its competitors. BMW has learned
its lesson, and it has confirmed the next 5 will put the sport back
in sports sedan.
Scheduled to arrive in time for the 2018 model year, the
seventh-gen 5 will weigh up to 225 pounds less than the current model because
it will ride on a new carbon-fiber intensive modular platform. Its final design
hasn’t been locked in yet, but a speculative rendering published by Top Speed shows the 5 will borrow styling cues such as
elongated headlights that stretch into a wide kidney grille from the smaller 3,
the new X4 and the third-gen X5. The sedan’s dimensions and overall
silhouette are not expected to drastically change.
The next 5 will inherit a number of high-tech features from
the 2017
7 that will be introduced later this year. Notably, it will be
available with a new infotainment system that will respond to hand gestures, and
high-end models will come with BMW’s futuristic remote-controlled parking
technology.
Huge changes are expected on the powertrain front. For
starters, BMW will fit the 5 with an evolution of the plug-in hybrid drivetrain
that powers the recently-introduced X5
xDrive40e. The drivetrain will likely consist of a turbocharged 2.0-liter
engine rated at 245 horsepower and a 113-horsepower synchronous electric motor
built into the 5’s eight-speed automatic transmission. The 5 will be able to
drive on electricity alone for about 20 miles, and it will return at least 70
mpg when the two power sources work together.
Hybrid aside, buyers will be asked to choose between four-,
six- and eight-cylinder engines. Entry-level models in Europe could gain
BMW’s ubiquitous 1.5-liter three-cylinder, but the engine will not be offered
on our shores due to its small size.
At the top of the lineup, the iconic M5 will be powered by a
twin-turbocharged V8 engine tuned to make over 600 horsepower, at least 25
more than the current-gen model equipped with the optional Competition Package.
The next M5 will be available with all-wheel drive, a first in the nameplate’s
three decade-long history.
source: http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2018-bmw-5-series-news-specs-rumors/
by Ronan Glon
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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