With a production of over 52 million cars (plus
some 10 million light trucks that are used for personal transport in many countries), the auto industry is the world’s largest manufacturing industry. As
it’s highly competitive, launching a new car is a huge event for every car company, which would typically spend somewhere in the vicinity of $500 million dollars on every major model upgrade.
It’s no surprise, then, that no cost is spared on introducing it convincingly to the cream of the worlds’ auto journalists. Many readers and viewers are guided by auto journalists, so their positive endorsements, negative criticisms, or cynical comments can make or break the success of any new model. The importance of this launch to BMW was clear as 418 journalists were invited in 12 groups from all over the world for the first test drives of their new 5 Series saloon.
I was very fortunate to be among nineteen Indian journalists chosen for the test drive in Portugal, and we were also lucky to have a bright sunny day – between long spells of rain – to drive along a scenic coastal road with the blue Atlantic twinkling to our left. Later, we went to the Estoril Grand Prix race track where we drove six laps to check out the responsiveness of its engines, and the suppleness of the suspension and chassis on the thirteen bends of the twisty track.
The German trio of Audi, BMW and Mercedes dominates the world’s luxury car market, and the BMW 5 Series competes with Audi’s A6 and Mercedes’ E Class. It’s smaller than the flagship 7 Series, and has many of the sporty attributes of the smaller 3 Series. The 5 Series was first launched in 1972, and this new model will be the 6th major model change since then. The 5th model launched in 2003 has had several small upgrades to keep it ahead of the stiff competition. This model involved a complete change of engines, body shell, suspension, and all systems for performance, comfort, economy and safety.
It is difficult, no doubt, to improve on any great modern car, but this new saloon is a little longer for better interior space. It’s also a little more sober than the earlier model, though its ripples and creases make it appear very sporty. A new steering system involves all four wheels so that rear wheels also move a little with the front for much better cornering and control. Some people had found that BMW’s hard suspension settings, necessary for good handling, were too stiff for comfort – so it now has four adjustable settings between comfort and sports plus. The new petrol and diesel engines are more powerful, quieter and more economical, and the 8-speed (no less) automatic transmission moves seamlessly from gear-to-gear. Believe it or not, but the microchips of the automatic achieve better fuel economy than manual shifting by the best human driver.
The scenic drive along the coast was great fun, and provided good photo opportunities. A good GPS system also made navigation a breeze. As in a fighter plane, a `head-up’ display projected images of the speed, engine rpm, fuel levels, and other data up onto the windscreen – as well as data on the GPS navigation, so that the driver has all the info he needs without having to take his eyes off the road. And, like on the 7 series, while reversing, the screen on the dashboard provides a video image of what’s behind you. In addition, although a little annoying, little beeps tell the driver that a car, tree or wall is too close to its precious paintwork.
The twisty four kilometer Grand Prix track, however, gave us a real feel of what the car could do. On the longest 900 meter straight, I could accelerate to 195 km/h before applying hard braking for a sharp bend that it confidently swept around at over 90 km/h. Michael Schumacher may have gone faster, but it felt good to drive like a racing star in a super luxurious car.
All said and done, this is a great new car for those who want 70% of a 7 series, with the driving dynamics of the sportier 3. You will have to hold onto your checkbooks till the latter half of the year however.
