Gimme 5: BMW launches latest evolution of its top-selling sedan

The new BMW 5 Series hit the market during the ongoing 2020 Beijing auto show on Saturday, which is to set off a craze with its forward-looking design, advanced technologies and superior driving control.

Held from Sept 26 to Oct 5, the 2020 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition is attracting attention from not only industry insiders, but auto enthusiasts around the world. Among them will be loyal fans of BMW's 5 Series.

Potential customers of the new BMW 5 Series will be the younger generation and the backbone of the society, who are aggressive about their career and enthusiastic about life, according to BMW Brilliance Automotive, the joint venture between German auto giant BMW and Chinese automaker Brilliance Auto.

Fusing cutting-edge technologies with superiority and comfort, the new 5 Series is a perfect match to the attitude and lifestyle of modern customers, the joint venture said.

"It (the new 5 Series) has been fully upgraded to further enhance its product strength, once again setting the benchmark of its segment," said Johann Wieland, president and CEO of BMW Brilliance.

Equipped with a raft of intelligent connected technologies, the BMW 5 Series demonstrates the automaker's latest innovative achievements.

The new 5 Series adopts the latest BMW iDrive 7.0 and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant, creating a new digital interactive experience for occupants.

BMW iDrive 7.0 can be operated in multiple ways, including the iDrive controller, multifunction buttons on the steering wheel, voice control and gesture control.

A new connectivity function called Remote Parking features in the new BMW 5 Series. It offers customers a complete map of parking lots and the real-time location of their vehicles to help drivers navigate.

It also displays facilities in the parking lot, including entrances, exits, elevators, stairs, toilets and charging pillars. This allows customers to select a parking spot in advance, according to their needs.

Coupled with a BMW 2-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine and an eight-speed Steptronic manual and automatic transmission, the new BMW 5 Series strikes a balance between power and fuel economy.

Among the lineup of the new BMW 5 Series is the 530Li xDrive, which has a maximum output power of 185 kilowatts and a top torque of 350 newton meters. It can deliver acceleration of 0-100 kilometers per hour in 6.8 seconds.

The 535Le, a plug-in hybrid model in the new 5 Series family, is equipped with both a 2-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine and the latest eDrive technology.

The BMW 535Le can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds, with a maximum output power of 215 kW and a top torque of 420 Nm.

While offering raw power, the new BMW 5 Series is equipped with autonomous driving assistance systems to ensure driving safety.

The systems include assisted driving, traffic jam assist, lane changing assist, park assistant and reverse tracking assist.

To further meet Chinese customers' need for a high-quality driving experience, the new BMW 5 Series is tailor-made for that market with a longer wheelbase.

With seven generations of models before it, the BMW 5 Series has reached a global sales volume exceeding 9 million units so far.

The seventh-generation 5 Series has achieved a total sales of more than 600,000 units worldwide, becoming the most popular BMW model, according to the automaker.

It is also a hit in China, the largest automobile market in the world. In 2019 alone, more than 173,000 5 Series units were sold in China, coming out top in the business sedan segment.

"Overall, we are confident in the long-term development of the Chinese market and the Chinese economy. Our successful development in China will continue to be a stable and driving force for global business development," Wieland said.