Intelligent technology at the basis of a new driving experience: The BMW i5 in dynamic testing.

• • Development of all suspension and driver assistance systems at the BMW Group test center in Miramas

  • The innovative “Vertical Dynamic Management” improves both sporting capabilities and driving comfort

  • A new world-first semi-autonomous driving function: the driving assistant now allows you to change lanes automatically with just a glance.

The development process for series production of the first-ever BMW i5 is entering the home stretch with the development of its suspension control and driver assistance systems. With the car’s world premiere just a few weeks away, it is clear that the new BMW 5 Series Sedan will offer an exceptional driving experience – in all-electric version as in all other variants. The innovative “Vertical Dynamic Management” takes the balance between sportiness and driving comfort that the BMW 5 Series has always been known for to an even higher level. The car’s automated driving capabilities have also been enhanced. been taken to a new dimension with the Highway Assistant, which monitors the distance to the vehicle in front, manages the steering and even changes lanes for the first time by means of eye activation.

For more than a year, the BMW i5 underwent a varied testing program – from the snowy and icy surfaces of the winter testing center in Arjeplog, Sweden, to regions offering extreme heat and dry conditions, in town and on country roads, on highways and on hand-picked test tracks. The work to fine-tune all components involved in the driving experience was then carried out at the BMW Group’s proving grounds outside Miramas in the south of France. This included ensuring that the integrated heating and cooling circuit with heat pump function for the drive system, the high-voltage battery and the interior of the BMW i5 could be controlled as required. at any time. The high-voltage battery’s predictive heat management capability paves the way for fast and efficient charging at DC fast charging stations.

Suspension systems designed specifically for the new BMW i5 5 Series maximize comfort and agility.

The exceptionally wide range of drive technologies offered by the new BMW 5 Series range – which now gives customers the choice between conventional internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrid solutions and fully electric motors – explains large variations in weight cars. Therefore, individual chassis tuning and the corresponding application of all control systems provide BMW-specific driving pleasure, regardless of the drive concept used.

As a top-of-the-line variant, the BMW i5 M60 xDrive comes standard with the Professional adaptive suspension including electronically controlled dampers. This suspension system can also be ordered as an option on the BMW i5 eDrive40. Thanks to BMW’s innovative “Vertical Dynamic Management”, it offers a notable increase in sporting performance combined with a level of driving comfort that also represents a clear improvement over its predecessor.

The latest version of BMW “Vertical Dynamic Management”, now in its ninth generation, makes its debut in the new BMW 5 Series Sedan. This technology is based on newly developed and extensively networked control logic, and takes into account all available input variables – such as wheel speed, steering angle, yaw rate and acceleration – in order to establish the ideal damping forces. The system no longer calculates the required damping forces using mathematical models, but favors the physical calculation of data relating to current driving conditions. This helps clearly define body control and precise suspension response in all driving situations.

The Professional adaptive suspension is offered for all variants of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan (standard or optional, depending on the model), ensuring the usual BMW driving pleasure. The new generation of the business sedan therefore combines driving comfort close to that of the BMW 7 Series with the sporting agility specific to the BMW 3 Series.

A new experience of automated driving: “Highway Assist” and automated lane changing using gaze orientation.

The new BMW 5 Series Sedan also raises the bar in its segment with its extensive range of automated driving and parking assistance systems. High-resolution cameras, high-precision radar sensors and control units from the latest BMW Group technology toolbox, as well as a software application refined over countless test kilometers, constitute the ingredients of an automated driving experience with innovative highlights that further improve safety and comfort.

In the USA and Canada, and now in Germany, the optional Drive Assist Pro system for the new BMW 5 Series Sedan includes the Highway Assistant, which can be used at speeds of up to 130 km/h. h. Once activated, the system takes care of distance and trajectory control, so that the driver can keep his hands in a comfortable position, concentrating fully on observing the area in which the vehicle is moving.

An interior camera helps monitor the driver’s level of alertness and also enables another innovation: in a world first, automated lane changing – included in Drive Assist Pro and Highway Assist – of the new BMW 5 Series Sedan can be controlled with a simple look. This practical function allows reaching a new level of interaction between man and car. Looking in the exterior mirror, the car initiates the lane change process and makes the necessary steering movements and speed adjustments up to 130 km/h, once the driver confirms that he wants it do so and the traffic situation permits. This purely visual gesture complements the use of the indicator lever, which still remains possible.

Production of the new eighth-generation BMW 5 Series Sedan will begin in summer 2023 at the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing, Bavaria. The market launch of the car will take place in October 2023.