BMW 5er F11 Touring

Aggressively Classy

     

At the Geneva Auto Show last month, BMW unveiled its newest 5-series Touring: the F11. In nearly all aspects, the 2011 5er Touring appears to improve upon the last generation (E61) and trounces BMW’s technically sophisticated but aesthetically painful 5er Gran Tourismo.

 

The 5er Touring retains its practical 60/40 split rear seat, but luggage capacity grows in three different categories. With the seats up, customers can fit up to 560 liters (or 19.8 cu. Ft.) of luggage in the boot, an improvement of 60 liters. Furthermore, BMW has resolved a common wagon storage issue, where the rearward tilt of the back seats often prevents larger items from being stowed. To this end, BMW has implemented a system called “Extended Storage,” which is fancy speak for rear seats that can be titled to 90 degrees. With the seats facing straight up, and your spine begging for mercy, an additional 30 liters of capacity is added. Finally, with the rear seats folded down, an impressive 1,670 liters (or 59 cu. Ft.) or storage can be utilized.

 

Stylistically, the F11 offers clean and sophisticated sheet metal that is far more pleasing than the outgoing 5er Touring and the current 5er GT. Sadly, when the 5er Touring goes on sale this September, U.S. buyers will not have the chance to buy BMW’s newest 5 door. BMW’s E61 sales numbers were never impressive, and with the advent of the 5er GT, the company contends that U.S. sales won’t justify the expense of importation from Germany. Our take: If BMW is constantly trying to corner new market niches (like the 5er GT and X6) to ramp up sales, why would it forsake a traditional segment that is not being abandoned by its German rivals?

April 14th, 2010

Specifications

2011 BMW 535iT  

Engine	3.0L I6 (N55)
Aspiration	Twin-Turbocharged
HP	306
HP/ Liter	102/ liter
Torque (lb-ft)	295
Drivetrain	Front Engined, Rear or All-wheel drive FR/ FA
Transmission	6-speed Manual or 6-speed
0-60	Est. 5.7 seconds (manual)
1/4 Mile	N/A
Top Speed	155 (Limited)

  

(from BMW Press Release)  The new BMW 5 Series Touring. Efficiency meets driving pleasure, elegance meets versatility.

Munich. The new BMW 5 Series Touring is the perfect symbiosis of driving pleasure, efficiency, versatility and sporting elegance. The 4th generation of the Business Touring convinces through powerful design aesthetics, modern premium-level functionality and brand-typical driving dynamics combined with exemplary efficiency. Extensive comfort and safety features, which include numerous BMW exclusive driver assistance systems, substantiate the outstanding qualities of the new BMW 5 Series Touring as an upper midrange touring car.

Design: Individual styling, sporting elegance.

The design of the new BMW 5 Series Touring is characterized by a high level of individuality with regard to its proportions and surface design. Its uniqueness is reflected by dynamic and powerful looks. With its long bonnet, short overhangs, the longest wheelbase in its segment, the stretched silhouette and a steeply inclined roof line, the new BMW 5 Series Touring possesses an elegance unrivaled by its competitors.

Versatility: Intelligent solutions for modern functionality.

Thanks to a multi-functional interior and intelligent detail solutions, the new BMW 5 Series Touring is fully equipped to meet the most diverse demands. The luggage compartment has a capacity of 560 litres. If desired, an increase in capacity to a maximum of 1,670 litres is guaranteed by 40:20:40 split folding rear seats, which are unique in this segment. The backrest angle is variable by up to 11 degrees. The backrest can be folded down using two control levers inside the luggage compartment, the loading space cover of which is automatically lowered when the tailgate is closed. The separately opening rear window automatically swings upwards at the push of a button.

The driving experience: Supreme dynamics and outstanding comfort.

The most advanced drivetrain and suspension technologies ensure supreme sportiness and a higher level of motoring comfort. Optional Dynamic Driving Control enables drivers to set the suspension individually to their personal requirements. The new BMW 5 Series Touring features as standard pneumatic suspension on the rear axle, including automatic self-levelling. Adaptive Drive and Integral Active Steering are optionally available.

The new BMW 5 Series Touring is making its debut with a choice of two straight-six petrol engines as well as a four-cylinder and a six-cylinder diesel. The BMW 520d Touring is powered by a 135 kW/184 bhp four-cylinder turbo diesel power unit featuring an aluminum crankcase and Common Rail direct injection. It is equipped with Auto Start Stop function as a standard feature, and with an average fuel consumption of 5.2 litres/100km (54.3 mpg) and a CO2 emission level of 137 g/km in an EU test cycle, it achieves the best efficiency in its segment.

The straight-six engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo under the bonnet of the BMW 535i Touring, with High Precision Injection and VALVETRONIC, develops a power output of 225 kW/306 bhp. Maximum power output of the straight-six engine featured in the BMW 523i Touring in lean operation is 150 kW/204 bhp. The BMW 530d Touring features a straight six-cylinder diesel with a 180 kW/245 bhp output. Thanks to BMW BluePerformance technology it fulfils the EU6 emission standard. All versions of the new BMW 5 Series Touring fully comply with the EU5 requirement.

BMW EfficientDynamics: BMW 5 Series increases the lead even further.

All versions of the new BMW 5 Series Touring are optionally available with BMW’s eight-speed automatic transmission. Like the electro-mechanical power steering EPS utilised on all variants, it makes an additional contribution towards efficiency. Depending on the model, the standard BMW EfficientDynamics measures comprise brake energy regeneration, Auto Start Stop function (BMW 520d), gearshift point indicator, demand-dependant ancillary components and active air flap control. An intelligent lightweight construction is obtained through doors, bonnet, front side panels, drivetrain and suspension components made of aluminum.

Innovative driver assistance systems by BMW ConnectedDrive.

The spectrum of features offered by BMW ConnectedDrive comprises, inter alia, a Parking Assistant, Surround View, collision warning with brake activation in conjunction with Active Cruise Control, Lane Change Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Info, High-beam Assistant, BMW Night Vision with detection of persons as well as Head-up Display. Furthermore, innovative office functions can be utilised via Bluetooth.

Joint development and production together with the BMW 7 Series.

The BMW 5 Series Touring is based on a newly developed vehicle architecture also used for the BMW 7 Series luxury sedans. Joint production of the BMW 5 Series Touring, the BMW 5 Series Sedan, the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and the BMW 7 Series at the BMW Dingolfing Plant, combined with the extensive use of shared components, ensures highly efficient production incorporating maximum possible quality standards.