Paris show: BMW teases 5 Series autonomous tech

BMW has continued to tease its all-new 5 Series ahead of its debut at the Paris motor show this month, this timereleasing a video on social media that shows off some of the driver assistance technology that will feature in the premium sedan.

The first system shown by the German car-maker is a steering and lane control assistant, which automatically steers the car around twisting roads while keeping it in lane, which BMW claims increases comfort as well as safety.

A separate system monitors conditions when approaching a crossroads and warns the driver of a potential hazard. If a collision is imminent, the pre-conditioned braking system can be applied for emergency automated braking.

BMW claims that its systems are “two of many” driving assistance systems in the new 5 Series, and punters can expect the new model to be chock full of other innovative technology.

The systems on show could foreshadow a more conscious push from BMW towards automated driving, which has ramped up across the industry in recent years.

It is clear from the short video that the new 5 Series will be a heavily tech-focused vehicle, highlighting the model’s new smartphone-linked Remote 3D View function, which allows the car to park itself in tight spaces.

The Bavarian brand has also claimed that the 5 Series will be “the most innovative business sedan in the class”, taking aim at Mercedes-Benz’s recently-released E-Class which also showed a significant advancement in technology.

BMW is also rumoured to introduce technologies from the 7 Series as well as superseding its big brother in technological capability – just as the E-Class has done with its larger S-Class stablemate.

Unfortunately the new video doesn’t give any indication of what the upcoming model will look like, with all teaser footage so far showing a completely blurred images of the new 5 Series’ exterior.

In other news, production of the new 5 Series will be split between the BMW plant in Dingolfing, Bavaria and Austrian contract manufacturer Magna Steyr at their plant in Graz.

Magna Steyr has assisted in the manufacturing of a number of lower volume models for different manufacturers over the years, including the Mini Countryman, Audi TT, Peugeot RCZ and Mercedes-Benz’s 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

Due to the integration of the new 3 Series and 4 Series at Dingolfing, the plant can no longer handle the volume required to exclusively produce the new 5 Series, but Dingolfing plant manager Josef Kerscher said he is confident the partnership with Magna Steyr would be a harmonious one.

“The decision to build 3 Series and 4 Series variants here proves that we are competitive and makes us less dependent on the lifecycle of our large model series,” he said.

“We are delighted to have a highly-professional partner like Magna Steyr produce this successful model for us. They will certainly benefit from our years of experience building the BMW 5 Series: Our staff here in Dingolfing will work very closely with the plant in Graz.”

Construction of the majority of 5 Series variants will remain in Dingolfing, and in anticipation of production upscale, the plant has undergone extensive refurbishment at the cost of several hundred million Euros.

The new 5 Series will be revealed when the Paris motor show gets underway on September 29.

LINK TO LATEST BMW 5 SERIES VIDEO