BMW offers more than driving pleasure with its new 5 Series Li

BMW has long been renowned for the supreme driving pleasure of its models, and now the German premium carmaker is emphasizing more on the luxury and comfort side as well, with one of the latest examples the new 5 Series Li sedan.

The model, made locally by its joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd, has registered strong sales since its China launch in 2017.

From January to August this year, the new 5 Series Li's sales totaled 95,861 units, up 22.6 percent year-on-year.

Its top position in the premium business sedan segment is the result of combined factors, including its unmistakable extreme handling, but the most important reason is its luxury, according to BMW Brilliance executives at a review event last week in Beijing.

Molly Yang, vice-president of the joint venture, said BMW's definition of luxury is the comprehensive experience that combines sportiness, speed and comfort - just like customers feel in the new 5 Series Li.

Since its launch last year, the sedan has helped to foster the idea among customers that it is equally enjoyable to drive a BMW car or to be driven in it, said Yang.

Based on its deep understanding of China, BMW Brilliance has made every effort to meet and exceed local customers' demands, which are usually higher than those in Europe or the United States in terms of comfort and safety.

Using more aluminum alloy components and extra-high strength steel, the new 5 Series Li sedan is lighter but stronger than its predecessor. The optimized chassis improves its performance on bumpy roads, creating a better experience for both the driver and passengers.

BMW has developed more comfortable seats for the model, in collaboration with Shenyang Jinbei Adient Automotive Components Co Ltd, a joint venture of global automotive seating provider Adient. The fruit of three years of research and development by more than 100 people, the seats have passed more than 150 safety tests, and are designed to function normally after continuous use for 30 years in a row.

Among other features, updated active headrests automatically move forward 55 millimeters in accidents involving collisions, thus better protecting heads and spines, said Adient engineer Zhu Mingbo.

The back row seats share the same structural platform with those of the 7 Series sedans, which means they are larger and more luxurious than those in previous generation 5 Series.

The specific and exacting demands of Chinese consumers have been taken into consideration. For example, the seats have been thickened by 20 mm to better bolster the passengers' legs and made 5 mm thicker to give better support to their backs. The shoulder supports can be adjusted conveniently as well. BMW has also commissioned Eagle Ottawa, a leather solutions provider with a history going back more than 150 years, to provide leather for the new 5 Series Li, including sophisticated Saddle leather.

Specifically developed for BMW, such leather is made out of high-class Nappa from bulls raised in Europe or North America, which are known worldwide for their superior hide.

The finely processed Saddle leather is naturally beautiful, smooth, comfortable, permeable and durable, thus a good match for elegant and sporty BMW models, according to Eagle Ottawa. The new 5 Series Li also offers top-class acoustic effects with a Bowers & Wilkins' Diamond Surround Sound System that works in harmony with the car's luxurious interior.

The setup features 16 finely tuned speakers at locations that have been carefully positioned by engineers from BMW and Bowers & Wilkins.

Their goal from the very beginning is to deliver an incredibly realistic, enveloping audio experience for both the driver and the passengers, as if they were there with the artists in the studio.

The new 5 Series Li is well known for its smart technology, which enhances the sedan's luxury feel.

A special striped pattern of light projected externally on the ground, guiding the motorists and passengers to the doors of the car, is called the Welcome Lights Carpet.

The new 5 Series Li also boasts the largest combination of screens in its segment, which includes the 10.25-inch touch screen center console, 12.3-inch digital dashboard, 70 percent larger Head-Up Display and a 7-inch Touch Command for back row passengers.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/28/2018 page15)