Following several spy shots, leaked photos and a restrained teaser campaign, the refreshed BMW 5 Series has finally broken cover. And now, we can all take a sigh of relief! As soon as you look at it, you thank god that BMW didn’t slap on a grille that larger than life itself. The sedan seems sharper in silhouette, courtesy of carefully injected design tweaks. Furthermore, BMW has introduced more electrified powertrain options and garnished the car with more features than before.

Design first. At the front, the BMW 5 Series gets sleeker headlamps with L-shaped DRLs, a new kidney grille with a single-piece surround and a new front bumper. The side profile looks pretty much the same as before, apart from the new wheel designs ranging between 18 and 20 inches. The rear end gets a new bumper, reprofiled taillamps and trapezoidal exhaust outlets. Opt for the M Sport package and the car will come with a new diffuser to show off!

Indoors, the refreshed 5 Series features BMW’s latest operating system, a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system as standard (12.3-inch display is optional), an upgraded navigation system and BMW’s “Intelligent Personal Assistant” with more features. The gadgetry includes support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Germans have also upped the ante in the assistance systems department by packing stuff like the “automatic formation of emergency lane”. In BMW’s language, that system “steps in to guide the car to the most appropriate side of its lane in tailbacks on the motorway”. More help comes in the form of a reversing assistant, a Drive Recorder and the 3D visualisation of the surrounding area.

Depending on the market, the BMW 5 Series facelift will be available with a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains. What’s new? All four- and six-cylinder engines get more powerful 48-volt mild-hybrid systems. That will help in adding an extra bit of oomph in specific scenarios and aid fuel economy as well. For India, the BMW 5 Series will continue with the same powertrain options – the 520d, 530d and the 530i. The power/torque figures remain unchanged, and so do their respective performance figures. As standard, they will come with 8-speed automatic transmission.

The updated 5 Series goes on sale in the autumn of this year. India will have to wait until next year to get it. In our market, it will compete with the Volvo S90, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 and the Jaguar XF.