BMW 5 Series 2003 News

It combines aspects of sedan, hatchback, crossover wagon and sports sedan, and will be available with turbodiesel, petrol six and V8 engines, a huge range of standard equipment and BMW's latest Dynamic Drive. BMW Australia believes it can get the car towards the middle of 2010, if it can make a business case, but predicts sales around 50 cars a month. The most unusual thing about the Gran Turismo is the tail, which is hatchback in style but - like the 'twin-door' Skoda Superb - has two tail-end choices. It can be a hatchback or a sedan, depending on the amount of luggage space needed for a job. To boost the rear-end flexibility, the rear seats can also slide forwards to increase the luggage space. BMW currently lists three engines for the car — 530d, 535i, 550i — and a huge range of standard and optional equipment. But the cabin takes its lead from the new 7 Series in dash layout, space and final finishing. And BMW says the Gran Turismo does not - necessarily - point to the look of the next 5 Series sedan, coming in 18 months. Or perhaps point to the end of the Touring wagon.

A powerhouse V8 to complement the two straight sixes has been added to the BMW 5-Series range.It has big shoes to fill in the form of the previous 540i that was widely acclaimed as one of the best sports sedans in the world.Typically, BMW has pulled out all the stops to deliver a vehicle that outstrips its predecessor on almost every score.It has more luxury, more safety, better handling and more performance than the 540i but weighs less. It costs a bit more but the additional features outweigh the extra ask.At $157,000, the 545i is going to sell to a small but discerning market and these fortunate folk will be able to experience automotive travel at the highest level.The engine has been uprated to deliver a maximum 245kW of power with 450Nm of torque fed to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine has variable valve timing on the inlet and exhaust sides and a variable inlet manifold to optimise output.Standard equipment is extensive and there is a swag of electronic modulations to keep the big sedan on the straight and narrow regardless of the conditions or how it's driven.A particularly pleasing feature is the active steering that changes the mechanism's gearing to offer fast, light response at slow speeds through to slower response with more feel at high speed. It is not merely a variable power assistance system.On a brief introduction to the 545i last week I can report that it feels like the big luxury sedan it is. Performance is strong and the ride is smooth and quiet. You get the feeling that everything is taken care of and that pretty well sums up the driving experience. The active steering is excellent and overshadowed a BMW M3 sports coupe that was used for comparison purposes.Acceleration times are impressive at 5.9 seconds and response across the entire rev range is strong, aided by the superb auto.Styled with the new BMW DNA, the 545 looks handsome and imposing on the road and is arguably the best looking in the new range. Other models in the new 5-Series line-up include the 525i and 530i.