Photo: CarPix
Just last year BMW’s F10 5 Series range got a mid-life facelift that brought along more technical updates than visual ones. Basically, you’d have to squint really hard to make out the difference from the exterior. Inside, and behind the wheel, things were different though.
The upcoming model will come out in 2016 and will stay well within the lines of the usual conservative looks 5 Series owners want from their cars. On the outside, the new front fascia will be introduced, most likely, with the headlights connected to the kidney grilles.
As you can see from out photos, there is extensive testing performed on the Touring model. The day has come when we’re seeing the wagon being tested more often than the sedan but we’re pretty confident that there have to be some serious reason behind this.
By the looks of things, this is a really early prototype, the side skirts and the lights giving it away. Our photographers also managed to snap some photos of the interior but, as you probably expected, since this is a very early prototype, they don’t provide too much info.
Zooming in you’ll notice that the instrument panel isn’t even properly hooked in while the rest of the dash looks like it’s a temporary fix for testing purposes.
The new chassis will be part of the G11 platform that will also house the upcoming 7 Series and 3 Series. Codenamed ‘35up’ it will focus on lightweight construction, based on extensive usage of CFRP and aluminum that should make the new models lighter than their predecessors.
The question is will we see the debut of a 1.5-liter engine in the new range? We know that the 2016 models will be using the new generation of B-family units that come in 1.5-, 2- and 3-liter sizes but we don’t know where the range will start.
Most likely, there will also be a plug-in hybrid model, using the same architecture as the X5 eDrive concept with a 95 HP electric motor and a 2-liter turbocharged petrol engine working together. With an electric range of 20 miles (32 km) and a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h) in EV mode, the 540e will probably be a success. Expect the concept to be unveiled towards the end of 2015.
As you can see from out photos, there is extensive testing performed on the Touring model. The day has come when we’re seeing the wagon being tested more often than the sedan but we’re pretty confident that there have to be some serious reason behind this.
By the looks of things, this is a really early prototype, the side skirts and the lights giving it away. Our photographers also managed to snap some photos of the interior but, as you probably expected, since this is a very early prototype, they don’t provide too much info.
Zooming in you’ll notice that the instrument panel isn’t even properly hooked in while the rest of the dash looks like it’s a temporary fix for testing purposes.
The new chassis will be part of the G11 platform that will also house the upcoming 7 Series and 3 Series. Codenamed ‘35up’ it will focus on lightweight construction, based on extensive usage of CFRP and aluminum that should make the new models lighter than their predecessors.
The question is will we see the debut of a 1.5-liter engine in the new range? We know that the 2016 models will be using the new generation of B-family units that come in 1.5-, 2- and 3-liter sizes but we don’t know where the range will start.
Most likely, there will also be a plug-in hybrid model, using the same architecture as the X5 eDrive concept with a 95 HP electric motor and a 2-liter turbocharged petrol engine working together. With an electric range of 20 miles (32 km) and a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h) in EV mode, the 540e will probably be a success. Expect the concept to be unveiled towards the end of 2015.
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