With a 4.4-litre turbo V8 pumping out 530PS (523bhp) backed up by 750Nm (553lb ft) of torque to all four wheels, the saloon-only M550i fits the bill as a junior M5, boasting a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds. The real new M5 is expected later. While that is sure to be even more powerful, we can also expect it to be substantially more expensive than the M550i, which starts at £67,595.
The mid-life facelift for the seventh-generation Five touches all saloon and estate models, with rear- or all-wheel-drive. At the other end of the petrol range from the M550i is the 181bhp entry 520i, while diesels start with the 188bhp 520d and go up to the 335bhp 540d. Tweaks to the turbos mean all versions are more powerful than the previous models.
All the four and six-cylinder models now feature mild-hybrid technology: a 48-volt starter generator and second battery that together provide an 11bhp power burst when needed, along with an engine-off coasting function to save some fuel. Dynamically it’s all expected to be just the same as before; that is, the class of the executive field.