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By Jonathan Crouch

BMW has high hopes of its much improved 5 Series Touring. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 89

Big estate cars have come a long way from their utilitarian roots and this improved version of the seventh generation BMW 5 Series Touring is a good example of just how far. Air suspension at the rear offers composure with a big load onboard and you'll be able to fit plenty in one in thanks to a 570-litre capacity. Thanks to mild hybrid tech, the engine range is now even more efficient and the smartened styling, though formulaic, has definite elegance. It may even be sharper than the saloon's.

Backgroundword count: 157

BMW paints a not unrecognisable picture of the executive estate market before the arrival of its 1991 first generation 5 Series Touring. Before that car, big estates were pared-back workhorses to their sportier and more sophisticated saloon counterparts. After it, they were positioned more equally with equivalent design and driving dynamics. Today, many even see the estate as a more stylish alternative to the straight-laced saloon, with its extra practicality coming as a handy bonus. The MK7 model 5 Series Touring is a worthy successor to successful previous generation models and just like most of its predecessors, it has the Audi A6 Avant and Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate to contend with. BMW's expertise in autonomous driving systems and media connectivity will help here, as will the greater luggage capacity on offer. If all of this can shroud a car that cossets its passengers while still rewarding the driver at the wheel, then quite a contender is in prospect.

Driving Experienceword count: 294

Thanks to a reduction in weight of about 100kg, this 7th generation 5 Series Touring proved to be a little sharper to drive than its immediate predecessor and still feels a little more agile than its direct Audi and Mercedes rivals. Especially if you add in options like 4-wheel steering and adaptive damping. The kind of full air suspension set-up you can have on a rival Mercedes E-Class is still lacking, though there's an air suspended rear axle on this Touring estate variant. You'll want to know about engines, which continue to work via an 8-speed ZF auto gearbox. All the mainstream four cylinder and six cylinder powerplants now get the Munich maker's latest 48V mild hybrid technology. Most 5 series buyers still want a diesel - there are three options again available. Things kick off with the four-cylinder 188hp 520d, which sits below a couple of six cylinder variants, the 281hp 530d and the 335hp 540d xDrive. The 520d and 530d can be had with either standard rear wheel drive or extra cost xDrive 4WD. BMW expects petrol power to enjoy a greater take-up with this facelifted model. The mainstream part of the range uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo unit, things kicking off with a 181hp 520i. Above the 520i, xDrive 4WD is either optional or mandatory. That 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit features in more powerful 248hp form in the 530i. And in the plug-in hybrid 530e, which offers up to 288hp. If you think a 5 Series really needs a six cylinder engine and you want petrol power, the conventional option is the 329hp 540i. A 248hp version of the 540i's same 3.0-litre petrol 'six' is paired to a 107hp electric motor in a new more powerful plug-in hybrid derivative, the 545e xDrive.

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