Top 5 BMW 5 Series features that make it stand out from the competition

By Ané Theron

 

BMW's sleek "business athlete", also known as the 5 Series, offers some very futuristic features for the discerning executive saloon buyer...  

 

 

1. Semi-autonomous driving tech

The 5 Series comes fitted with almost as many assistance systems as the 7 Series, and, if you so prefer, takes all the 'work' out of driving. By means of radar, a stereo camera and ultrasound sensors, the 5 Series can "see" danger and actively steer you away from it, or stop you from being involved in a collision altogether.

From standstill to 210 km/h, the 5 Series can pretty much drive itself and stop/brake when necessary, as long as you give it a bit of steering input every now and again, and the curves are not too sharp.

The 5 Series assistance system's functionality include Evasion aid, Crossing Traffic warning, Lane keep assist and Active Side Collision Protection, Active Cruise Control, and Steering and Lane Control Assist. This means you can physically remove your hands from the wheel, while the car's cameras reads lane markings and road signs, steers around bends, stops behind traffic, and pulls away again when it's safe to do so.

The intelligent Auto Start Stop function will also adjusts to your regular route as well as traffic conditions. This is especially helpful if you have a long and traffic-heavy commute to and from work everyday. 

 

2. BMW's winning iDrive system 

I've always liked how sophisticated the BMW's iDrive system is, and in the latest 5 Series, it's even better. In top specification, it displays Satnav, telephone and entertainment features as well as vehicle functions on a high-res 10.25-inch screen. You can either use the iDrive Controller dial, voice control, or hand gestures to access the system, or you can use it like you would your tablet or smartphone, as it is touch-enabled too. While it doesn't seem like the user-friendliest system in the world at first, it is quite intuitive, and with time you will learn to love it.

The 5 Series also comes with the latest-generation full-colour BMW Head-Up Display, which has a projection surface that is 70 percent bigger, and displays traffic signs, telephone listings, radio stations, music tracks, navigation instructions and warnings from the assistance systems.

 

3. BMW Connected Onboard - your "digital mobility assistant"

BMW Connected, which now has a home in all the younger BMW models, has been around since 2016. When the 7th-generation 5 Series launched, this system was upgraded too, with added smartphone functionality.

The automaker says that "BMW Connected Onboard gives drivers an overview of their mobility-related information. Relevant content such as the upcoming navigation destinations and estimated arrival time, recorded in their personal mobility agenda, are transferred seamlessly into the car from their smartphone, and displayed on the personalised screen. Remote 3D View allows drivers to call up three-dimensional views of the area around their car on their smartphone while on the move. And that means they need never lose sight of their car."

We think that's pretty advanced tech, don't you?

 

4. Remote Parking

In conjunction with BMW ConnectedDrive, optional Remote Parking allows you to pilot your 5 Series in our out of any space, using the BMW display key. The entire process is monitored by the park display control sensors and the surround view cameras. This is especially handy if there is parking available, but the space is too narrow for the doors to be opened!

 

5. It was a 2018 South African Car of the Year finalist

It may not be an actual feature, but it is a notable achievement nonetheless. Beating class competitors such as the Jaguar XF and Mercedes-Benz E-Class to the semi-finals and then to the top ten, BMW was hopeful for a seventh COTY title, but it was the Porsche Panamera who took top honours. The 5 Series's direct SA COTY rival of 2018, the Volvo S90 sedan, took second place. (In 1997, the BMW 528i actually won the competition.)

Read our 2017 BMW 5 Series launch report here.

 

Source: BMW South Africa