1 Jun 2010
THE new F10 5 Series range launched with three petrol engines - a naturally aspirated six-cylinder for the 528i, a turbo six for the 535i and BMW's twin-turbo V8 for the flagship 550i, while the 520d diesel arrived three months later.
All engines used an eight-speed ZF torque converter automatic transmission also seen in the 7 Series and the Audi A8. It could be controlled by steering wheel paddles (optional on the 520d and 528i and standard on the other cars).
It was 58mm longer than the previous model (4899mm), while width increased to 14mm (1464mm) and the wheelbase grew 80mm to 2968mm.
The capability of the car gave BMW the confidence to increase some 5 Series prices, with a hike of $6900 for the entry-level 520d and an $8100 increase for the top-end 550i to more closely align them with their Mercedes-Benz E-class counterparts. BMW insisted at the time that the price rises were offset by increased levels of standard equipment.
The F10 Five had all-aluminium double wishbone suspension at the front and a multi-link rear set-up that BMW called an integrated V axle.
It came standard with regular springs and dampers, while the turbo-petrol versions were available with the optional Dynamic Damper Control that provided an extra-soft comfort setting as well as advancing the handling with adaptive front and rear anti-roll bars.
A rear-steer system was only available with the optional active steering system which enabled the amount of steering input to change, depending on the speed. This meant a small input at low speed turned the front wheels more than it would at higher speeds.
The extras list included lane-change warning, active cruise control, heat-sensing night vision and two newcomers – Parking Assistant, which parked the car with minimal input from driver, and Surround View, which displayed a bird’s-eye view of the car, using high mounted cameras, as a parking aid.
In September 2010, a Touring wagon version joined the range.
