Work is underway for the seventh generation of BMW‘s 5-Series range with our spies spotting a heavily cladded prototype of the Touring model doing the rounds on the Nürburgring.
There’s not much we can say about the next 5-Series’ exterior design from these photos other than that, the station wagon won’t be breaking any styling boundaries with its (familiar) silhouette.
There has been talk that the next iterations of the 5-Series and the larger and more premium 7-Series will be influenced to some extent by the Gran Lusso V12 Coupe from last year’s Ville d’Este, which interestingly, was penned in cooperation with Italy’s Pininfarina.
While the prototype was unattended, our spies took a couple of quick shots of the interior in which we see the steering wheel and the instrument cluster, both of which seem identical to the current F10/F11/F07 generation model. The most plausible explanation is that this is an early development car using parts from today’s 5-Series and that the actual model will have a different design.
BMW is expected to continue offering three body styles for the 5-Series, including the sedan, Touring, and even though there’s not much love for the current Gran Turismo, a liftback version as well, riding on an extended wheelbase.
The new 5-Series will continue the weight loss trend, assisted by a new platform that will use a combination of high-strength steel, aluminum and possibly, composite carbon fiber parts too.
It will be driven by BMW’s latest four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines, with some sources suggesting that certain markets such as Europe may even get the firm’s most potent 1.5-liter three-cylinder units. The next M5 will likely live on with a turbocharged V8 offering more oomph than the current unit.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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