The biggest launch of this year for BMW will surely be the G11 7 Series. Scheduled to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall, the flagship will be bringing out a lot of new tech that will eventually trickle down to other models as well. The first one to get some of it will be the new 5 Series.
The current F10 model received a facelift back in 2013 and confirmed that it is heading out of production, a moment slated to happen somewhere in 2016. That’s also the year when we’ll be seeing the new model for the first time, in all of its glory.
Until then, we have to deal with the camouflaged prototypes spotted here and there and we didn’t get the chance to see one in production guise so far. Look no further, as one of these rare birds was just spotted in Germany admittedly under camo.
Even so, we can still make out a few details. For example, the front left fender seems to have an extra ‘fuel cap’ which can mean only one thing: this is a plug-in hybrid. If our guess is confirmed, this will be the first time the 5er gets this setup as the ActiveHybrid5 model we have today can’t be plugged in.
It will also use a new powertrain made up of a 2-liter petrol engine and a small electric one encased in the gearbox that will probably be able to drive the car emissions free for up to 20 miles.
What else do we know about the G30?
On the design front we can notice the new headlights that seem to mimic those on the 7 Series and a wider set of kidney grilles. At the same time, the door handles seem to have a new design even though it is really hard to tell because of that pesky camo.
Another interesting detail we spotted seems to be a reinterpretation of the grilles in the front bumper that don’t have the honeycomb design anymore, going for more subtle horizontal and vertical bars. Whether that’s a winning strategy it remains to be seen.
On the technical side of things, the new 5er will be using a lot of lightweight materials, the goal of its development being to drop some valuable weight. Some claims are churning out a weight difference of over 100 kg (220 lbs) but we’ll have to wait and see.
The engines used will surely all be part of the new B family of modular plants, ranging from 2-liter 4-cylinder petrol and diesels to 3-liter ones. The 4.4-liter V8 on the 550i might be in danger but a decision regarding it hasn’t been reached just yet.
As per our latest report, the new 5er will also get the 7 Series’ new infotainment system that uses more touch-sensitive areas as well as gesture recognition. Whether more displays will be added throughout the cabin remains to be seen.
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