BMW 535i

The new BMW 5-series, with its gorgeous looks, smooth performance and incredible punch, is a force to reckon with, says Hormazd Sorabjee

Around this time a year ago, BMW’s recently-launched 520d began to make its way through the Indian luxury car market. The considerable appeal of the 5-series, the very aggressive price and the fact that it was diesel made it a booming success. It also gave Mercedes a good run for their ‘best selling luxury brand in India’ tag. Then Merc launched the new wedge-shaped W212 and knocked the wind out of BMW’s sails. And with this scenario fleshing out, as far as BMW is concerned, the new 5-series or the F10 couldn’t come at a better time than now. For starters, the car looks brilliant in the flesh and the drool factor is significant. There’s a lot of 7-series in the design and the sharp cuts in the body and the details give it a lot of the same muscular, sinuous character you see in the 3-series. There’s no mistaking this car for anything else, that’s for sure. Moving on to behind the wheel and initial impressions have you believe that this is a scaled-down 7-series. The BMW 5-series’ sedans are a bit softer around the edges and more rounded in character to broaden their appeal. The chassis is a mammoth 55 per cent stiffer and that really helps mete out a fantastic ride quality despite the run-flat tyres. Ride comfort is phenomenal and part of this is because you can choose from different suspension settings, a first on a 5-series. Rear seat space is also a huge improvement over the current car as the new Five is a scaled-down 7-series in actual fact. You still sit a bit lower than in an E-class, but the seat is very comfortable. This is also now a genuine five-seater, with plenty of room even for five big individuals. Up front, the dash looks very familiar to anyone who’s driven or ridden in a 7-series. The basic design is very similar and the insides have a very modern and contemporary feel to them, not as blocky as the new E-class but classy and very up-to-date. As a result, the high-grade trim and quality are top class. No complaints about the motors either, especially the turbo-charged 535i that puts out a lusty 306bhp. It’s easy to get enthralled by the silky low end, the huge midrange punch and this car’s unrelenting willingness to rev. Also worthy of mention is the new eight-speed transmission on the range topper that could come to India eventually. This twin-clutch unit is ultra smooth, with seamless shifts; even BMW’s paddles work well when asked to downshift aggressively. The steering is fairly accurate and direct, though there is some inconsistent feel to it and it gives you very little feedback. Body control and grip, however, are phenomenal and the new Five can really surprise you with the speed it can carry into corners. And the optional rear-wheel steering works wonders in keeping the car utterly stable. But still, I do miss the super-precise and quick steering of the old 5-series, with its zero slack around the straight-ahead and directly-connected-to-the-road feel. And does anybody make better diesels than BMW? The straight six format gives it an advantage as far as smoothness is concerned, the diesel clatter is incredibly well suppressed and then punches really hard in the midrange. It’s not clear which model BMW will first bring to the market but expect the 520d (which has 7bhp more than before) and the 535i to be the key models in the new 5-series range. That’s some exciting stuff for luxury junkies to look forward to. spec check BMW 535i Top speed: 250kph Price: Rs 44 lakh - Rs 55 lakh (est) L/W/H: 4899/1860/1464mm Wheelbase: 2968mm Kerb weight: 1685kg Engine: 6-cyls in-line, 2979cc, twin-turbo, direct-injection petrol/ front, longitudinal, rear-wheel-drive Power: 306bhp at 5800rpm Torque: 40.8kgm at 1200rpm Gearbox: 8-speed automatic Fuel tank: 70 litres Brakes (F/R): Ventilated discs