With more than 40 years of development under its belt, the BMW 5 Series competes very favourably with the best executive sedans anywhere in the world. That explains why the introduction of every new model attracts very high profile guests who come expecting to see class-leading refinement and comfort.
That was exactly the atmosphere at Banana Island in Lagos recently, when Coscharis Motors Plc unveiled the latest 5 Series.
And, as revealed by the General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Abiona Babarinde, the car was being ushered into the Nigerian market only a few months after its global launch.
Babarinde informed the guests that for the first time ever in the history of BMW 5 Series, the headlights were seamlessly integrated into the kidney grill, which draws attention to the car’s width, and gives it a more sporty and broad stance on the road.
“The 5 Series’ further enhanced dynamics, an unbeatable line-up of assistance systems, an unmatched degree of connectivity and a new and innovative operating system, are the most important new features.”
Therefore, he added, the executive sedan has all the tools it needs to continue the remarkable success recorded by its predecessors, stating: “More than 7.6 million BMW 5 Series cars were sold across its first six generations. This seventh generation points the way into the future, as we have defined it with our Number One > Next strategy.
“We see technological leadership, emotionally rich products and digitalisation as essential factors in achieving success. With the expansion of our model portfolio in the large-vehicle classes, we are satisfying the wishes of many customers. We are in no doubt that the new BMW 5 Series will set new benchmarks technologically, but also have huge emotional appeal. It remains the epitome of the business sedan, which made BMW to aptly capture the BMW 5 Series as the ‘Business Athlete’”.
Superior Driving Pleasure: Even at standstill, BMW says its new 5 Series is the sportiest sedan in its segment. Rigorous application of the BMW Efficient Lightweight design concept, with increased use of aluminium and high-strength steels, reduces the weight by up to 100 kilograms from that of its predecessor. The newly designed chassis, a low centre of gravity, BMW’s hallmark even weight distribution and a lightweight body offering exceptional stiffness, ensure dynamic driving experience.
Next Step to Automated Driving: A wealth of assistance systems are on hand to support the driver – not only at critical moments, but also in less demanding situations at the wheel, such as traffic jams, slow-moving traffic and monotonous stretches of motorway. To this end, it is fitted as standard with a stereo camera, which teams up with optional radar and ultrasound sensors to monitor the area around the car. New features alongside the evasion aid and Crossing Traffic Warning are the Lane Change Assistant and Lane keeping Assistant with active side collision protection. The latter keeps an eye on the lane markings and the area around the car, and actively helps the driver to avoid looming collisions by applying corrective steering inputs.
The BMW 5 Series also takes another step towards automated driving with extended functions for the optional Active Cruise Control (ACC) system and Steering and Lane Keeping Assistant. These include adoption of speed restrictions, which the optional Intelligent Speed Assist communicates to the cruise control system (the driver can adjust this figure by +/– 15 km/h). From rest to 210 km/h, the car can relieve the driver of acceleration, braking and steering duties, as desired..