25 Mar 04
Whilst less controversially styled than the 7-Series, the latest 5-Series saloon has nonetheless attracted its fair share of criticism for its odd angular 'flame-surfaced' body panels, its over-aggressive face with hooded eye-like headlights and that strange lump on the bootlid. It's a car that attracts extremes of opinion: industry-watchers are either hailing it as the most progressive executive car in years or signing a petition to have BMW's design chief Chris Bangle sacked. Whatever side of the fence you sit on, it's undeniable that the 5 makes the Mercedes E-Class - or even the brand new Audi A6 - look evolutionary rather than revolutionary. It's not a conservative choice. The Touring estate, which joins the saloon on sale at the end of May, is a little less excessive, the X3-alike rear tailgate and its side profile easier on the eye, but it retains that unique Bangle x-factor: presence. Put simply, it's a very striking-looking vehicle.
UK prices will start from £29,415 for the petrol-engined 525i SE (192bhp); the 525d SE (177bhp) is from £30,110, the 530d (218bhp) is from £33,930 and the flagship V8-engined 545i a steep £43,945. Standard equipment will include six-speed manual transmission, automatic air conditioning, eight airbags, tyre pressure warning, part-electric seat adjustment, roof rails, ISOFIX child seat attachment points, electric operation of the tailgate, a separately-opening rear window, self-levelling air suspension and electronic Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with traction control (DTC), brake control (DBC) and Corrnering Brake Control (CBC). As for the saloon, options include Active Steering (more on this later), Dynamic Drive anti-sway control, which adjusts the front and rear anti-roll bars, adaptive headlights, run-flat tyres, active cruise control to monitor distance from the car ahead and a head-up display, which projects driver information and current speed onto the windscreen just above the steering wheel, so the driver doesn't have to look down at the dials.
BMW expects 60 percent of buyers to opt for the diesels, especially once the 535d joins the range in the autumn, though entry-level 520i and mid-point 530i petrol models will also be offered from spring 2005. And of those diesels, the 530d is bound to be a very popular option.
