BMW 5 Series Interior Spied in Clear View for First Time
Spy photographers have caught the interior in clear view of the new BMW 5 Series for first time. Even with a significant amount of specially cut foam padding used to disguise the instrument panel and center console from prying eyes, we can still make out some new details.
The i-Drive controller is placed on the right side of the gear lever, and similar to Audi's MMI interface, there are additional navigation/function buttons surrounding the controller. Also similar to Audi are the new buttons and scroll wheels on the totally new steering wheel. Sitting at the base of the gear selector console is a big button with a “(P)” for the electronic parking brake.
The shape of the dashboard is also brand new, although the two circular recesses on the passenger side are fake as well as the old i-Drive controller location. The real deal is more like, you guessed it, the Audis.
Keyless-go, active suspension, improved night vision, head-up display and a bigger sat nav screen are all features that we will find in the new 5 Series.
Due to all of the heavy plastic panels, the exterior is still hard to recognize, but at least we can now see the actual size of the characteristic BMW twin kidney grilles.
The new F10 5-Series will be available as sedan, touring (wagon) and fastback, although the later will have its own name (still going under the work name PAS). Four-wheel-drive as an option will be available for all three versions as well as a new 8-speed electronic automatic transmission.
The new F10 5-Series is expected launch in spring 2010 as a 2011 model.
that centre console just keeps getting higher and wider - as if it's cubicalling the driver/passenger!
Interesting statements from the writer "like the Audi".
It may be a little bit similar to Audi's interior but with much more quality!! And the MMI of Audi is a copy of the original BMW's i-drive!! It will be a great car!
Audi has the best interior design and quality of the 3 luxury German automakers and is good that BMW has finally decided to borrow some design elements from them.
original i-drive sucks and is nothing like Audis MMI. Without voice recognition I wouldnt be able to stand i-drive.
Audi is on top of the charts for quality, get your facts right, not wild statements
As to make the driver even more less aware of the road, the 'wonderful' and 'oh-so-useful' I-Drive is now closer to the gear selector!
Perfect! Why can't we just go back to the retro design of the e24/34/39 styles! WTF happened to designs? Everything looks Korean!
can't understand your problem. BMW makes excellent cars with an excellent design. there is nothing corean because BMW's are designed by krauts, dutchies, frenchies and americans in munich, the capital of bavaria, where the people know a lot about good food und beer.
it still has that humongous lump in the middle, where they put the monitor. its like a tumour. pretty much the same as the old one. i dont like it, its poor. at least the new...well the "new" 7 series has a better interior. what the hecks wrong with bmw...
they must not have too much confidence in theyr protos check the glass break emergency hammer in the door.
love the amount of work they put in camo theese days vac formed foam for teh interior and stuff
They already stuffed up the 7 series, I hope they dont stuff this up
I am a potential BMW buyer, and I thihk the BMW is going away from it sharp innovation of the body shape, and coming to a more conservative way of exterior design[Despite the heavy camouflage in the photo, I think that I still like the current 5 series better!]. Interior's improvement is also not as impressive as you would think from BMW. It merely looked more refined than the current 5-series only. I think that playing safe is fine, but BMW must make sure not to lose the spirit of the leading edge and stunning designs. Because that is why I love so much about BMW.
will be very similar to the new 7-series of which pictures have just surfaced