BMW plays it safe with next 5 Series

EXCLUSIVE E-Class rival won't adopt the 7 Series' bold cues, but will get mild-hybrid engines - plus an all-electric i5

- James Brodie

• Next-generation executive saloon arrives next year
• Radical new 'Curved Display' dash uses two widescreens

BMW is preparing for what it's billing as its most transformative project since the sixties, which will see almost everything about the company's cars change after 2025, from the way it builds them to the way it sells them. But before then, one of the brand's biggest stars is due a revamp.

A new 5 Series will arrive to continue the decades-long battle with the Mercedes E-Class- also due to be replaced next year - and the Audi A6, which will be facelifted in 2023. This newcomer, codenamed G60, will be one of the brand's final new models before its Neue Klasse-generation vehicles begin to arrive in the middle of the decade, likely led by all-electric replacements for the 3 Series and the X5 SUV.

Although the next 5 Series can be thought of as a swansong for the current generation BMW line-up, it will still mark a huge departure from the current car and will introduce a nameplate that has been the subject of on-and-off speculation since the introduction of BMW's 'i' model line-up.

As part of BMW's 'Power of Choice' strategy, the new 5 Series will offer multiple powertrain options, including the option of a fully electric version, which will take on the i5 name. A new M5 flagship will also be introduced, and for the first time it will be electrified. However, a core line-up of petrol and diesel models will still be the big sellers, making up the majority of the range.

Due to be revealed next year, the 5 Series has previously been spied in the hands of BMW engineers, having been testing on public roads since 2021. And spy shots reveal that it will be a more conventional-looking car than the most recent addition to BMW's saloon range.