BMW had updated the 5-Series and will present the new model next week in Geneva . The revamped car sports a minor facelift and new options.

Up front, the new 5er wears a horizontal trim bar in its bumper spoiler, giving the front end a wider appearance. The kidney grille has been changed slightly, and the headlights have new clear glass and transparent glass panels to cover the indicators, with chrome rings surrounding the round headlights.

The side sills have a more stretched look and the rear lights now come with clear glass and LED indicators, while the surround of the license plate has a smoother design.

A new cockpit design is sophisticated, and the new door panels are more elegant, while the buttons for the power windows are relocated to be well within reach. The new steering wheel has been fitted for more comfort, BMW says.

As before, driving the new 530i is a pleasure because of its sporty character. The in-line six-cylinder engine is lively and accelerates briskly. Shifting with the six-speed manual is precise. The six-speed automatic transmission has new software and hydraulics resulting in a 40-percent faster reaction time over the current automatic models.

Handling is firm, without compromising comfort, and steering is direct. BMW’s Dynamic Stability Control has new functions for more effective braking and intervening in the engine management when the car starts to under- or oversteer.

There is also a new electrical gear selector lever for the automatic transmission and the iDrive system has now eight programmable “favorite” buttons on the center console. New and a first in its class, is the head-up display (HUD).

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 28th, 2007 at 11:09 am and is filed under News and Technology [t], Car Models [t], Car Reviews [t]. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.