2016 BMW 5 Series spied testing

First spy pictures of a real prototype of the upcoming new BMW 5 Series emerge and we bring you the India exclusive pictures. The new car will be unveiled in 2016 and the focus will be on hybrid technology as it will be seen in most of BMW’s upcoming cars. 

It gets styling inspired by BMW’s latest sculptural approach as demonstrated on the Vision Connected Drive concept car. The new door handles, the air inlets in the front wings,the doors with a sharp horizontal edge, and the flatter rear window distinguish the test mule from the outgoing model.

The 5 Series will share its architecture with additional models and there will be extensive use of carbon fibre in the structure as well as body panels. It seems like the weight saving theme will be carried on to all the future models from BMW and the 5 Series will be no exception to this new rule. 

Powertrains to be used are anybody’s guess, but it may get a choice of four engines. A plug-in hybrid variant with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, while the additional “filler cap” in the left front wing that hides the socket for the electric plug indicates that the test mule might be a hybrid.

It will also get the conventional 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine with 348bhp and 500Nm of torque. There could be a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel with 341bhp and 660Nm of torque and a quad-turbocharged M 550xd with 402bhp and 750Nm of torque.

It might also get a three-cylinder oil burner that might make it the most efficient 5 Series on sale in modern times. According to the source, the new 5 Series might feature semi-autonomous driving technology and a drastically improved interior as BMW wants to set "new standards in terms of surface quality and material appearance." There are chances that a revised iDrive controller and improved voice commands might be offered.

The M5 has been the pinnacle of performance in the BMW range when it comes to four-door sedans with supercar-like power. While, the current M5 makes 552bhp, its successor might have an engine churning out 616bhp and an optional all-wheel drive system. 

We expect the 2016 BMW 5 Series to be launched in India within six months of its global launch. If the new M5 crosses the 600bhp mark on the dyno, it will be the first M model to have breached this mark.