BMW readies new 5-Series

The new BMW 5-Series sedan will be launched in New Zealand next week.

The first cars to go on sale will be 3-litre six-cylinder models - the petrol-powered 170kW/300Nm 530i and 3-litre turbo-diesel 160kW/500Nm 530d.

The straight-six 525i and 525SE and the 4.4-litre V8-powered 545SE will arrive in December. No word on price yet but the entry-level 525i is expected to cost around $95,000, up a few thousand dollars from the previous E39 model.

The price rise isn't unexpected - the new E60 range comes with more equipment and technological advances, many of which filtered down from the flagship 7-Series.

Included among them are the world-first active steering, which electronically varies the steering ratio to improve response to driver inputs.

The 5-Series range will be available with the choice of six-speed manual or six-speed Steptronic sequential transmissions.