BMW loses the Bangle-butt

The sixth-generation sedan borrows from older styles to mix elegance with sportiness. Photo / Supplied

Former controversial BMW design chief Chris Bangle might have moved on, but the profound influence he had on automotive stylists around him is visible in the new 5-Series sedan, unveiled in Europe this week and due in New Zealand next June.

The sixth-generation model borrows from the more conservative design language of the current flagship 7-Series, one of the the last cars Bangle signed off before his departure from Munich to a teaching role in the United States.

But the mid-size four-door still contains elements of Bangle's controversial "flame surfacing" signature, only this time they are flourishes that Bangle's replacement Adrian van Hooydonk says are aimed at providing added sportiness.

"We've attempted to match elegance and sportiness together in equal measure to give a unique personality," he said.

"But at the same time, we've been careful not to stray too far from traditional 5-Series visual qualities."

The new car does away with the awkward boot-line - disparagingly described in the US as a "Bangle butt" - of the outgoing 5-Series, and in its place is a tail inspired by the 7-Series.

A bold crease runs from the front wheelarch to the rear lights to emphasise the extra 20mm of length and the longer wheelbase the new model has over the outgoing car.

The mix of new and old visuals is the result of "different strokes for different folks", says BMW New Zealand managing director Mark Gilbert. "The period of Bangle always comes up in conversation, but it's more to do with the media than it is with anybody else," says Gilbert. "Buyers voted on the look of the [outgoing 5-Series] car with their chequebooks.

"The Bangle era took BMW from being number two to number one internationally. It just comes back to more of the media disliking Bangle's work than customers.

"Adrian van Hooydonk worked for Bangle for many years, but he is a different character.

"I think he is the right guy for what we need going into this era, be it electro-mobility, or efficient dynamics.

"From a design perspective, the new 5-Series follows from where we started with the 7-Series. You can even see a link to the current 3-Series.

"I guess it's more of a family appearance that's coming back, rather than individual models that make up a brand. I'm excited about the new 5-Series because if it looks good in a photograph, our cars always look better in the flesh."

The new sedan, codenamed F10, has been redesigned inside and out, in an attempt to keep it ahead of rivals such as the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class - launched in New Zealand three months ago - and Audi A6.

The 5-Series will share some of its cabin layout with the 5-Series GT, due here next month. A barrage of cutting-edge technology, including four-wheel steering borrowed from the 5-Series GT, and an active rear differential for maximum traction, will aid driving enjoyment.

Also helping road manners, says BMW, is the return to a full-steel unibody - the front end of the outgoing car was built from aluminium - that is claimed to be 55 per cent stiffer than before. The use of aluminium in the new car is confined to the bonnet, doors and front mudguards.

The sedan will have more high-tech features than the current model, including a new parallel-park assist system, a distance-warning system which uses sensors to provide a top-view image and frontal collision warning that automatically applies the brakes.

Fuel efficiency is high on the agenda, under the company's "EfficientDynamics" banner. Stop-start technology on four-cylinder petrol and diesel manual models will ensure that CO2 emissions tumble by 10-15 per cent. Manual six-cylinder cars will get stop-start in 2011. A line-up of new four-cylinder engines - including a 2-litre turbo - will also boost fleet fuel economy. The 3.5-litre straight-six from the 530i will be carried over unchanged, but the 550i will swap its 4.8-litre V8 for the cleaner and more powerful twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 from the 7-Series and X6.

Diesel models will receive a similar shake-up. Although the 520d will still be the entry-point, a 3-Series-style EfficientDynamics variant with emissions of less than 120g/km is likely, say reports in Europe.

Gone is the six-cylinder unit from the 525d, replaced by a more efficient four-cylinder engine from the 123d. Both the 530d and twin-turbo 535d will return.

A petrol-electric hybrid is likely in 2011, featuring the same layout as the ActiveHybrid 7, combining a 3-litre petrol engine from the 525i with an electric motor housed in the eight-speed automatic gearbox. The ActiveHybrid 5 will have the ability to drive up to 4km on electric power alone.

The 5-Series family will grow when the Touring version is introduced in Europe in February. Go-fast fans will have to wait until 2012 for the next M5 - when the current V10 will make way for a 4.8-litre twin-turbo V8. Gilbert is finalising engines and specifications with BMW Australia, now that both countries have set out to optimise supply and demand in this part of the world.

"All the efficient dynamics technologies are available to us in New Zealand," he says.

"Efficient dynamics has been pretty much linked to diesel technology, but now we are trying to align with Australia as much as possible, it means we will have the same engines and same technologies as are available in Europe.

"The only difference will be that not all models will be on offer. Stop-start is only available in manual transmissions at the moment, and when you get into the 5-Series segment not many people are buying manuals.

"But if someone wants to order a manual 5-Series with stop-start, they can."

BMW is likely to have four key models in its New Zealand 5-Series line-up - 550i V8 and straight-six 528i or 535i petrol units, and four-cylinder 520d and six-cylinder 535d diesels.

"We will be looking at 520d entry-point up to 550i, and then eventually the M5, I would imagine," says Gilbert.

"We are still trying to finalise specifications with our Australian colleagues. But that's probably the direction we will be looking to go in.

"We should have four good models. The 520d I don't think will be available from day one. I think it's the 550i and 535d that we will be starting off with."

Gilbert wouldn't comment on pricing but reports from Germany say the new 5-Series is expected to cost between 3 and 5 per cent more than the current range.