Will you still consider buying an old luxury car after the debut of the all-new BMW 5 series?
Evolution of BMW 5 Series Design
After considering it, I found no desire to purchase the actual car. Perhaps people only prefer things before the age of 30. In that era, the BMW 5 Series had grace and attention to detail, representing a certain level of sophistication. However, the current new 5 Series has shifted its aesthetics to cater to the younger generation of the digital age, losing its distinctive brand identity. I cannot accept the simplistic design of this 5 Series.
The previous 5 Series had a serious, dignified and composed front face with intricate details. Its side profile was slim, well-balanced, and transparent.
The new 5 Series has a frivolous, crude, and inexpensive front face, while its side profile is bulky, plunging, and oppressive.
BMW Cars: Fading Glory
The previous model of the 5 Series gave the impression of a 7 Series at first glance. The current 5 Series shines brightly, making it difficult to mistake it for anything else.
The iconic taillights of the previous 5 Series are gone, and the ones on the current model are not as cool as those on domestic cars.
The body lines of the previous 5 Series were smooth, with two prominent lines extending from the front to the rear. The current 5 Series body is even simpler than the 3 Series.
My cousin, a man who spent 375,000 RMB on a BMW 325li, wanted power, style, comfort, and space.
He said it was the last old model without a touch screen in the 4S dealership, a symbol of his lost youth.
However, over the past year, the value of his car has dropped by over 100,000 RMB - a loss of value for him.
My friend, a man who got an insider price for an ix3, wanted power, style, and space.
He said he got a 40,000 RMB discount for the ix3 during a company event. For him, it was his last indulgence as a new father.
However, his car has many issues, and the price of the ix3 has dropped significantly in less than six months. It has become a source of criticism from his family.
Simply put, BMW is not doing well. Whether it’s the price of new or used cars, they slide down like stepping on a banana peel.
As for me, a BMW X1 owner who bought the car 12 years ago for 600,000 RMB, I can only say that each generation of BMW is worse than the last.
Over the years, both my relatives and friends have been loyal BMW customers. But when we see BMW waving its rusty sickle, with hands trembling in arrogance and conceit, all we can say is, “Huh, pfft, enough!”
Materials and Design of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class
I have seen this dual-screen display for 4 years now, but the previous generation E-Class (213) dual-screen display still outshines the G6x in terms of static experience…
Of course, this version is only the highest peak of design and materials in Beijing Benz (simulated leather embossed center console, Exclusive interior package, perforated real leather, the entire car is a dusty brown color, but to be honest, it’s really resistant to dirt).
Let’s appreciate the peak of the previous generation E-Class (213) MY807/808 version again (Nappa leather center console, designo interior package, semi-aniline double-stitched perforated leather). Below the real shots of the North American rednecks, click to see the dazzling luxury…
Well, how should I say this, this generation of 5 series is so disappointing, the forthcoming E-Class (214) from Beijing Benz definitely won’t be well-made. The internally developed E450L 4MATIC with a six-cylinder engine will most likely be shelved. The rear-wheel steering system that can be added for less than 1200 euros on the overseas C-Class (206) won’t be available either. They even dare to charge the luxury price for the E300L Prestige model when it should just be the price of the E300L Luxury model!
Let’s wait for the Audi A7L (the next generation petrol A6, renamed A7). The new generation BMW 5 series is destined to be as unsuccessful as the current Audi A8 (D5) facelift.
This generation of domestically-produced 5 series long-wheelbase (G68) is scheduled to start production in January 2024 and cease production in October 2030, with no LCI and no mid-term facelift for nearly 7 years!
Personally, I believe the peak of the 5 series was during the F10 era. ALPINA officially joined BMW in 2021, which means you can buy a 535i in China and then go to a larger BMW dealership to order an ALPINA B5 F10 package. Isn’t that more powerful than the 2 series Pro MAX of G68? Moreover, we still have the F11 touring version of this generation 5 series in China~
Disappointment with the 5-Series Keyboard
The value of the 5-Series keyboard in this generation is too low to attract me. Let alone the design, I feel like even BMW’s proudest stance has been thrown away for the most part.
But because of these factors, I estimate that the sales volume of this generation of the 5-Series should still be good…
BMW’s Self-Proclaimed Technological Design
For the next 5-7 years, BMW will continue with this self-proclaimed technological design, where they simply erect a temporary construction-site-style screen, without any consideration for design, with awkwardly sticking edges.
No matter how much decorative lighting or painted patterns they add, it’s still just a fence, offering no extra points in terms of luxury or sportiness.
Speaking for myself, the reason why the older models with gearsticks are still in the top three choices before an upgrade.
Interior design lags behind competitors
The interior design is extremely ugly, and the entire BMW executive series has basically been sentenced to death.
The transplant of the interior from the BMW 3 Series is simply appalling.
How is the new BMW 3 Series selling? Doesn’t the manufacturer have any idea?
Forced high-tech, very awkward, still stuck in the mindset that a large screen represents technology.
The screen has no design at all.
The previous generation Mercedes E-Class interior design led the imitation of interior designs by various car manufacturers for a whole 4 to 5 years.
It is still stuck in the design of the old Mercedes, directly lagging behind a generation of Mercedes. It’s like piecing together two tablets. It looks like a “cleaver” with no creativity at all.
The latest interior design of the Cadillac lineup is the first to apply a curved screen design.
Even American cars are better than BMW in this aspect.
The upcoming Mercedes E-Class, it’s hard to evaluate how good a Mercedes car is. However, the creation of luxury and technological interior atmosphere has already surpassed Audi and BMW in the previous generation, and completely leads the interior design trend of most car manufacturers.
If we take a closer look at the Mercedes C-Class, Mercedes interior design directly overwhelms both Audi and BMW.
It can only mean that Audi and BMW are of the same quality—they both took shortcuts.
The new domestic BMW 5 Series will debut in 2023
Consider it, the old luxury still has its own advantages.
In 2023, the new domestic long version and i5 pure electric version will officially debut. The new car adopts a completely new design language, with significant improvements in appearance and interior compared to the current models. The body size has also been further strengthened, and the power has been improved, raising the overall strength to a new level. It is understood that the new car is expected to be officially launched in the year or early 2024.
The pictures are respectively the BMW 5 Series and BMW i5. The following is the same.
In terms of appearance, the new car overall continues the design of the overseas version, with a relatively conservative style. The front face does not adopt the vertical double-kidney grille of the 4 Series, nor the “squinted” split headlight design of the 7 Series. Instead, based on the current model, adjustments have been made to the headlight group and front bumper. This is a relatively correct direction, after all, the appearance of the current 5 Series is very successful, so there is no need for drastic adjustments.
On the side of the body, a “5” luminous logo is designed at the Hofmeister kink, and hidden door handles are used. The car is also equipped with newly styled wheels, with optional 19-inch and 20-inch sizes, greatly enhancing the recognition and sense of luxury of the new car.
In terms of dimensions, the new 5 Series petrol version and pure electric version are consistent, with lengths, widths, and heights of 5175/1900/1520mm, and a wheelbase of 3105mm. Compared to the current models, the length of the body has increased by 69mm, the width has increased by 22mm, and the height has increased by 20mm, while the wheelbase remains unchanged.
There are more obvious changes in the rear of the new car, with a redesigned taillight shape, which is stylish and high-end. At the same time, the rear bumper has a more prominent shape, highlighting a strong sense of sportiness.
In terms of interior, the new domestic BMW 5 Series adopts the latest generation of family-style design language, with a design style similar to the BMW 7 Series/i7. It is equipped with a 12.3-inch LCD instrument panel and a 14.9-inch touch screen for a combined display design. It is built-in with the iDrive 8.5 system, and the air conditioning vents use a hidden layout, with a significant reduction in physical buttons in the original air conditioning area, replaced by touch controls. In addition, with the addition of the ambient interactive light strip, both the sense of technology and luxury have been significantly improved.
In addition, in order to cater to the needs of Chinese passengers, upgrades have been made to the rear seats of the new domestic BMW 5 Series. The rear seats have been “lengthened” and “thickened”, and comfortable soft pillows have been customized for the front seats for the first time. The backrests of the front seats also have a “5” exclusive logo, further emphasizing the special identity of the domestic production.
At the same time, the floating panoramic screen introduced by the BMW 7 Series will also become an exclusive option for the domestic long-wheelbase version of the 5 Series, with features such as 8K, 31 inches, and real-time connectivity. This configuration is not equipped in the overseas version of the 5 Series. It can be seen that BMW has specially equipped configurations that meet the needs of Chinese users, which will redefine the luxury of this series.
In terms of power, according to the declaration information, the new BMW 525Li is equipped with a low-power 2.0T engine, with a maximum power of 156 kW (212 horsepower), and a top speed of 225 km/h. The new BMW 530Li is equipped with a high-power 2.0T engine, with a maximum power of 211 kW (287 horsepower), and a top speed of 250 km/h. Both transmission systems match an 8-speed automatic transmission.
As for the eDrive 35L model, it is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum power of 250 kW (340 horsepower), and a top speed of 190 km/h, which is consistent with the eDrive 40L model. The range information is currently unknown. For reference, the BMW i3 eDrive 40L is equipped with a 79.05 kWh battery, with a pure electric range of 592 km under the China Light-duty Vehicle Test Cycle standard.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that, according to BMW’s official introduction, the new BMW 5 Series has made contributions to combining sportiness and long-distance comfort in terms of driving dynamics and chassis, with increased front and rear axle loads, a close to 50:50 axle load distribution ratio, intelligent structure, and enhanced body and chassis connection stiffness.
The picture shows the current BMW 5 Series.
As for the price, as a reference, the price range of the current domestic BMW 5 Series is 436,500 to 562,500 yuan, with terminal market discounts of more than 80,000 yuan. The entry-level model is priced below 400,000 yuan, making it extremely cost-effective. The new BMW 5 Series has been improved in many aspects, and the price is expected to be adjusted. After it is launched, there will not be many discounts in the short term. If you want to pursue cost-effectiveness and are not particularly interested in the design of the new BMW 5 Series, it may be better to choose the current model at a low price. (By Pacific Automotive, Wu Qi)
Considering buying the electric version of the 5 Series
If the electric version of the 5 Series remains at its original price and can still be purchased with the German imported standard axle version, I might consider it.
Design Challenge: The Dilemma of Hybrid Cars
It’s not the fault of the designers.
In the era of electric vehicle transformation, at first, they hesitated to invest and opted for electrifying traditional cars. As a result, BMW electric cars were dubbed as “knock-off” cars.
Now, with the development of hybrid cars, the designers face great difficulties. They not only have to consider fitting a bulky battery but also incorporate the components of a traditional fuel vehicle. It’s incredibly tough.
Therefore, it has led to the creation of such bulky and unsightly vehicles.
Why can’t we walk on two legs? Why do we insist on tying them together with a rope and hop around? Falling is inevitable.