By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com / photos BMW US Press Information
The formula for success continues with the 7th generation of one of the most successful premium sedan on the market, the all new BMW 5 Series. The 2017 BMW 540i Sedan has been entirely newly developed allowing for a significant weight loss of up to 137 lbs. with the use of aluminum, magnesium and high-strength steel.
Exterior
The BMW 540i Sedan remains the quintessential midsize sport sedan. The formal and precise design combines presence, aesthetic appeal and functionality in equal measure, the exterior dimensions of the new car are only slightly larger than those of its predecessor.
Standard LED Adaptive headlights already make the BMW 540i Sedan a captivating prospect, its concentrated gaze locked onto the road. Adaptive Full LED Headlights alter the light graphic and can be specified as an option. With Adaptive Full LED Headlights, the LED tubes of the daytime running lights are hexagonal and extend to meet the kidney grille, creating a stylistic connection that accentuates the wide, low to the road appearance of the front end.
The passenger cell is set back and leads the eye over a flowing roofline to the rear end, while a short front overhang underscores the car’s sporty appearance. For the first time, the new BMW 5 Series Sedan brings together two traditional BMW design elements which are normally separate from one another. The swage line turns up as it heads rearwards, moving from shadow to light and sweeping up the Hofmeister kink in its path rather than continuing into the rear. This upwards motion lends the car a forward surging character, and the expressive, swooping surface imbues it with an undeniable muscularity.
A low slung, expressive and width accentuating design of the rear end points to the dynamic, direct handling of the BMW 540i Sedan. The rear lights reach deep into the sides of the car, creating a visual connection between its flanks and rear end. Cutting edge LED bars enable a slim interpretation of the hallmark BMW L shape and underline the width of the new sedan. Another defining element of the rear end are the exhaust tailpipes, which are now arranged symmetrically on both sides on all model variants.
Interior
The BMW 540i Sedan offers increased trunk capacity to 18.7 cubic feet, capable of carrying 4 golf bags. The lowered instrument panel, freestanding display, and the cabin’s enlarged dimensions provide additional room and comfort. Passengers in the rear now have more space to spread out, thanks to the increased kneeroom and extended legroom.
As part of the interior’s acoustic design the headliner is equipped with built in sound absorbing materials to reduce interfering sounds, which increases the driver and passenger’s ability to communicate. Additional storage spaces in the door pockets, able to hold regular sized bottles, have been created. The cup holders in the center console have been designed to allow easy access control switches. The storage compartment in front of the cup holders can be equipped with an optional wireless charging tray.
The standard front sport seats are 16-way electrically adjustable, including adjustable side bolsters for optimum lateral support, and offer tremendous safety and comfort together with a wide choice of materials. Other enhancements include decorative stitching for the optional Dakota and quilting for the optional Nappa leather upholsteries can be selected. The available 20-way adjustable Multi-contour seats for the driver and passenger can be additionally equipped with ventilation and massage function. Eight different massage programs, each with a choice of three intensity modes, relax the muscles in the back and relieve the strain on the spinal discs while driving. The driver is now able to set temperature thresholds for activating the seat heating and seat ventilation, as well as the steering wheel heating a highly convenient feature that starts these functions automatically when the temperature falls below or rises above the respective limit.
Technology
The latest version of Gesture control which premiered last year in the all new BMW 7 Series is now available as an option in the BMW 540i Sedan. Navigation, telephone, entertainment features and vehicle functions can be visualized on the standard high resolution 10.25-inch screen and controlled not just in the usual manner using the iDrive Controller, but also by means of gestures, voice commands or simply touching the display.
Available content is arranged in a total of six large tiles over two screen pages, providing the driver with direct access to functions as well as a live display of the associated content. The interactive and live title for entertainment, for example, shows the current song selection with an image of the album cover. When navigation is active, the driver can see the route the vehicle is taking in the main menu’s navigation title. If the driver now touches this map section, the navigation screen opens, showing the detailed map view. Touching a title’s header line, opens the respective function’s main menu, in this case the navigation menu. This allows for easy and quick access to all information stored, saved or currently enabled. The two sets of three pads can be rearranged as desired, allowing drivers to position the content they use most frequently in the first screen.
The BMW 540i Sedan can also be operated using voice control or with optional Gesture Control which offers a particularly intuitive and easy way of operating commonly used infotainment system and telephone functions. All that is needed are simple movements of the hand or fingers, which are detected by a 3D sensor near the center console and translated into commands: pointing at the screen with the index finger is all it takes to accept a phone call, for instance, while a swiping motion with the hand rejects it. The swiping action can also be used to open submenus. Tracing a circle with the index finger adjusts the audio system’s volume, and the driver can pull their thumb and index finger away from the navigation map towards them to zoom in on that section of the map. In addition, the two-finger point towards the iDrive screen can be used to carry out an individually selectable command, such as instructing the navigation system to start route guidance to the home address or skipping to the next track in a playlist.
Performance
The range-topping engine for the time being can be found in the new BMW 540i and generates 335 hp between 5,500 and 6,500 rpm. The 3.0-liter inline 6 cylinder musters up a mighty 332 lb-ft of torque from 1,380 – 5,200 rpm. The BMW 540i sedan powers from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds and top speed is electronically-limited to 130 mph, 155 mph with M Sport Package and 19-inch M Double-Spoke Wheels with Mixed Performance Run-Flat Tires.
BMW xDrive counteracts oversteer and understeer effectively and increases the car’s pulsating handling abilities when turning into corners and eagerly powering out of corners. The all-wheel drive system provides the perfect blend of dynamism, directional stability and comfort. For the first time, BMW xDrive can be combined with Integral Active Steering as well as the lowered M sport suspension included in the M Sport Package. The Sport variant of the eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission comes standard on the new BMW 540i Sedan and features even more dynamic shift characteristics along with shift paddles on the steering wheel for changing gear manually.
In its 7th generation, the BMW 5 Series features, a redesigned chassis, intelligent lightweight engineering, BMW’s renowned even weight distribution, a highly torsion-resistant body and leading-edge driver assistant systems. The BMW engineers have succeeded in making the car’s handling more agile and precise, yet without compromising the comfort which is a hallmark of this sport sedan. At the same time, an extensive range of driver assistance systems take the BMW 5 Series Sedan a big step further down the road with improved semi-automated driving features.
Summary
The BMW 5 Series is one of the most successful business sedan on the market. It brings together sporting agility, presence and comfort like no other vehicle. With the new generation of the car, once again sets the benchmark in all areas; it combines dynamic excellence and comfort to the best possible effect. Plus, the new BMW 540i Sedan is at the leading edge of technology when it comes to driver assistance and connectivity.
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price starts at $56,450.00, the one I drove BMW 540i Sedan included the Mocha Nappa Leather ($1,000.00), Cold Weather Package ($800.00), Driving Assistant Package ($1,800.00), Driver Assistance Plus ($1,400.00), Dynamic Handling Package ($3,200.00), Driver Assistance Plus II ($1,700.00), Luxury Seating Package ($1,600.00), M Sport Package ($2,600.00), Premium Package ($1,950.00), M Sport Brakes ($650.00), Power tailgate ($500.00), Soft Close Automatic Doors ($600.00), Ceramic Controls ($650.00), Power Rear Sunshade ($575.00), Remote Control Parking ($750.00), Apple CarPlay Compatibility ($300.00), Bowers and Wilkins Sound System ($4,200.00), Gesture Control ($190.00), and it came in at $81,910.00 including destination charge ($995.00).
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
