2017 BMW 5 Series Teased

The current generation BMW 5 series is bound to go out of production later this year and the successor to one of the bestselling executive saloons will make its official appearance soon. Attendees at the Detroit Auto Show scheduled for January 2017 will get the first glimpse of how the finished product will look like. This is good news for BMW enthusiasts, especially after the rumour that it will be showcased at the 2016 Paris Motor Show was rubbished.

Just as its saloon siblings, the new 5 series will be based on the new Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform. The real bonus to this approach is that the engineers can make use of lighter but sturdier materials to shed some overall weight. This weight shedding will be a welcome change to the 5 series as it is regarded as one of the heaviest saloons in the category.

On the specifications front, the 5 series will borrow some of the underpinnings and style aesthetics from its siblings. One might also call it a hybrid between the 3 and the 7 series, depending on which variant you go for. For instance, the 520d and 520i variants will make use of the same front axle as the new 3 series to save on weight. But the more powerful versions like the 540d and the M550i will acquire their axles from the bigger 7 series to keep the driving dynamics at par with customer expectations.

The more expensive variants will also accommodate a 7 series feature called Dynamic Drive. It makes use of active stabilizers on the front and rear axle to keep a check on the body roll of the car in a corner. The idea behind this technology is to ensure a level, agile and smooth ride at all kinds of speeds that the car can achieve.