BMW reveals mid-life facelift for 5 Series

BMW has revealed the mid-life facelift for its 5 Series large sedan and wagon range, with the new-look model set to touch down in Australia in October with a range of powertrains on offer.

The most obvious change to the 5 Series has been with its exterior design, with a new-look LED headlight cluster that eschews the hexagonal design of the outgoing model for an L-shaped motif also seen on the updated 7 Series.

Like its stablemates, the 5 Series’ signature kidney grille has been made longer and wider, which combines with the slimmer headlights to give the front end a sleek look.

Full LED beams with cornering function come as standard, while the high-tech BMW Laserlight feature is available as an option.

The L-shaped signature continues at the rear with a lightly restyled light cluster, while all grades will now come with trapezoidal exhaust tips.

New colours and alloy wheel designs will be available, while the M Sport exterior design package promises to be “significantly more muscular” than before, according to BMW.

Inside, the 10.25-inch infotainment screen has been increased to 12.3-inches across the range to go with the redesigned centre console controls, while all variants now come with a leather multifunction sports steering wheel.

As for which variants will come Down Under, BMW Australia is yet to detail exactly which sedan and wagon grades will come down under, however there is a huge amount of choice with a total of 16 variants in the global portfolio.

The Audi S6 and Mercedes-AMG E53-baiting M550i xDrive – first introduced late last year – has been confirmed to return with its 390kW/750Nm twin-turbo V8, while two other petrol engines, one diesel and one plug-in hybrid (PHEV) will also be available at launch, with outputs for the remaining variants set between 135kW and 215kW.

Powers of deduction suggest the two petrol variants will be the entry-level 520i with its 135kW/290Nm turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, and the mid-range 530i with the same engine boosted to produce 185kW/350Nm.

The oil-burning option is likely to remain the entry-level 520d which produces 140kW/400Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, however it could also refer to the more powerful 530d and its 210kW/650Nm 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine.

As for the PHEV, BMW will retain the 530e which combines the 520i’s engine with an 80kW electric motor for a combined 215kW/420Nm.

The more potent 45e PHEV grade from the X5 and 7 Series has also been made available on the 5 Series, and could be a chance for introduction in the future. 

The selection of engines seems to suggest the six-cylinder petrol 540i grade may not be returning.

On the safety front, the lane departure warning system now features steering assistance to return the car to the middle of the lane, while the range of functions in the Parking Assistant suite has been expanded to include reversing assistant.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is now available, while BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant functionality has been expanded.

More details on the updated 5 Series range will be made available closer to the car’s launch in October.