Rumour: BMW India to launch 5-Series facelift in October?

The facelifted F10 2014 BMW 5-Series made its world debut earlier this year, and the car could be headed towards Indian shores as early as next month. The direct competitors of the 5-Series sedan, the Audi A6 and the Mercedes Benz E-Class, are fresher models as the BMW was launched 3 full years ago, in 2010. So, the time seems just apt for the German luxury car maker to slip in a refresh, or long cycle impulse (LCI) as BMW would like us to call the facelifted model. According to Mr. Girish Karkera, the Editor of TopGearIndia, the facelifted 5-Series will be launched in India during October 2013. 

The new car is a mild refresh at best. Visually, the 2014 5-Series retains its characteristic looks that seem to be inspired by the bigger, 7-Series model, save for minor updates. A new front bumper, tweaked air intakes, optional adaptive LED headlamps, LEDs turn indicators integrated into the wing mirrors, refreshed tail lamps, new alloy wheels and a redesigned rear bumper are the visual changes on the car. On the inside, the infotainment console gets the touch screen treatment through the optional touch iDrive controller while the number of storage bits on the car have increased. 

Other optional equipment on the facelifted 5-Series sedan include ambient lighting in white and orange shades and the comfort access system that allows one to open the boot by placing one's foot under the rear bumper. Also, a fuel saving technology called the coasting mode has been incorporated into the 8 speed automatic transmission of the car. Mechanically, the facelifted BMW 5-Series gets a new entry level 2 liter turbo diesel engine (143 Bhp-320 Nm), essentially the one found on the 1-Series diesel hatchback.

This engine might not make it to Indian shores and the BMW 5-Series is expected to continue being offered with 2 and 3 liter turbo diesel engines, and 2 and 3 liter naturally aspirated and turbo petrol engines respectively. The 8 speed automatic transmission and a rear wheel drive layout will be standard across all variants. A start-stop system and brake energy regeneration are the other fuel saving bits on this car. The Indian model will be assembled through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route at BMW India's Chennai factory.