The new BMW 5 Series has arrived, and the German luxury carmaker has introduced "quite a few firsts" into this eighth-generation sedan, per the BBC's Top Gear. For one, the series boasts an aesthetic that's morphed from a "sensible, small-c-conservative four-door into a shark-nosed electric firecracker," the British car magazine notes, adding that the car now "looks a bit upset about something." There's also the first fully electric version, the i5, which comes in two models: the 335hp eDrive40, which can go from 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds, and the M60, a 590hp beast that can accomplish that same speed in 3.7 seconds.
One feature in particular is causing auto aficionados to geek out, per USA Today: The "Active Lane Change Assistant," which permits drivers to change lanes simply by looking in the exterior mirror. After that glance, the car "takes over the necessary steering movements automatically, the traffic situation permitting," per a release, which calls the feature a "world first." "This comfort feature now achieves a new level of interaction between the driver and the vehicle," the release notes.
Other features included in the 5 Series sedans include automated parking, which the user can control from inside the car or via smartphone from up to 220 yards away; a standard "fully vegan" interior (ie, seats covered in "Veganza" instead of leather); and an enhanced iDrive display and control system. BMW has also souped up the 5 Series into an entertainment cruiser, complete with video streaming and in-car gaming through the AirConsole platform—though the manufacturer makes sure to stress that gameplay should only take place "while the vehicle is stationary."
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The 5 Series models, which also include gas-powered versions, will be available starting in October. The i5 eDrive40 comes with an MSRP of $68,800, while the i5 M60 is listed at $85,750. The least expensive of the series, the gas-drinking 530i, starts in the mid- to high $50s, per Car and Driver. (More BMW stories.)
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