BMW 5 Series 535i

What it is?

Set to go on sale in the UK in March, BMW’s new 5 Series saloon has the job of emulating the sales success of the old 5 Series, which, despite its controversial appearance, ultimately became the most successful model in the car’s illustrious 38-year history.

Up to seven different new 5 Series models are planned for the UK, although not all of them will be available from the outset. This is the £37,090 535i with a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six engine producing 302bhp.

All models save for the top-of-the-line 550i come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, though BMW expects the majority of buyers to opt for the optional eight-speed automatic.

Rear-wheel drive is a given, but expect selected models to also receive optional four-wheel drive before the end of 2010.

Along with the saloon driven here, a Touring version is also planned from October.

What’s it like?

There’s a new-found calmness to the ride that initially leads you to believe that BMW might have gone too far in attempting to match rivals like the Mercedes E-Class, Jaguar XF and Audi A6 and perhaps compromised the car’s traditional sportiness.

The reworked suspension with the variable dampers set in comfort mode is sufficiently supple to soak up uneven cobblestones, nasty expansion joints on overpasses and broken bitumen without the inherent harshness of the old 5 Series. It is terrifically composed, with great stability, a nice tied-down feel and hugely impressive refinement both around town and at higher speeds.

On the motorway the 535i’s turbocharged 3.0-litre engine is all but inaudible at a steady cruise. That’s because BMW has geared its optional eight-speed auto ’box so high that you rarely need more than 2000rpm; that endows it with combined fuel economy of 33.6mpg, bettering the old 540i by 4.5mpg.

The tall ratios are good for economy, but you often feel you’re a gear, maybe even a couple, too high when the gearbox is left to its own devices. However, the 535i serves up solid in-gear acceleration the instant you plant the throttle.

BMW says it’ll run from 0-62mph in 6.1sec - the same time quoted for the old 540i. A better indication of its real-world performance, however, is the 80-120km/h (roughly 50-75mph) split, which is put at just 5.9sec. Top speed is limited to 155mph, but the gearing is so high that it’s achieved in sixth rather than eighth.

While endowing the new 5 Series with tremendous agility and great stability, the new active steer system is still rather lifeless. Incorporating a rear steer function that sees the rear wheels move in the opposite direction to the fronts at speeds below 37mph and in the same direction at higher speeds, it is claimed to reduce the turning circle by up to 0.5m at parking speeds.

However, the altering of the steering ratio at higher speeds is not seamless, and it takes a good while before you feel confident enough to attack corners with any great gusto.

That said, the combination of traditionally steered front wheels and counter-steering rear wheels greatly reduces the work rate required on the part of the driver. Even over challenging back roads you rarely need to call up more than a quarter turn of lock and the weighting remains reassuringly constant. In sport mode, the electro-mechanical helm is incredibly direct, allowing you to place the new BMW on the road with a great confidence.