Sharper and sportier India-bound 2020 BMW 5 Series (facelift) spied in France
The India-bound 2020 BMW 5 Series has been spied up close in France. At first glance, the facelifted seventh-gen BMW 5er looks sharper and sportier than the model it'll replace next year.
Apparently, BMW is applying the same formula for the new 5 Series as the new 7 Series with respect to design. This is especially evident at the front, where the kidney grille has been split into two and significantly enlarged and the headlamps have been made sleeker and edgier. Some test mules spotted earlier this year didn't have this bigger kidney grille. At the rear, the most noticeable change will be the seventh-gen BMW 3 Series-inspired combination lamps that will likely be slimmer and feature L-shaped tail light. Then, of course, the bumpers and wheel designs will also be new. That should sum up the key exterior changes.
Inside, the BMW 5 Series already features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. It will retain that, as well as the iDrive infotainment system with BMW Operating System 7.0 which was introduced earlier this year as part of a running change. The existing infotainment system will be ultimately replaced by an iDrive 7.5 system with the full model change early next decade in 2023. For now, expect the mid-cycle update to bring a bigger touchscreen with revised functionality and new trim and upholstery choices.
In terms of mechanicals, several international reports say that the Bavarians are planning to introduce a more powerful six-cylinder 388 PS plug-in hybrid powertrain, possibly in a variant called the 545e xDrive iPerformance. The new variant will sit above the 530e iPerformance and use the plug-in powertrain of the 745e xDrive iPerformance, which means that there will be a detuned 3.0-litre turbo assisted by an electric motor to propel the wheels. BMW already offers the four-cylinder diesel variant, the 520d, with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system internationally.
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The facelifted BMW 5 Series is expected to be launched sometime in the middle of 2020. Its Indian arrival is expected to happen a year later.
[Image Source: Reporter.Autoplus]