F10 5 Series

A MID-LIFE facelift arrived for BMW’s sixth-generation F10 5 Series executive express in late 2013, bringing with it a number of improvements over the original.

Cosmetically little changed, aside from the slightly altered kidney grille, indicator-incorporated door mirrors, modified front and rear bumpers, LED front fog lights and redesigned rear light clusters.

Most of the powertrains remained much the same, although the 4.4-litre V8 in the 550i gained a ten per cent boost to 330kW and 650Nm which also cut the 0-100km/h sprint time from 5.0 to 4.6 seconds.

New additions to the standard equipment list included dual-zone air-conditioning, ambient lighting, electric seats and a high-fidelity entertainment system with internet access and smart-phone interface.

Entry level variants also gained bi-Xenon headlights, ‘Professional’ grade satellite navigation, rear-view camera and leather sports steering wheel now included as standard.

As always, BMW offered innumerable options for a price and various styling packs including the Luxury Line and M Sport Package.