- BMW will facelift the 5 Series just a year after launch to align its design with upcoming Neue Klasse EVs.
- The update includes a bold new front end and potentially BMW’s latest Panoramic iDrive interior tech.
- Despite the visual overhaul, 5 Series will retain its current platform and powertrains.
BMW is giving its internal combustion engine (ICE) lineup a serious refresh - and the first cab off the rank is the 5 Series.
Despite launching just last year, the eighth-gen saloon is already set for a bold design and tech upgrade in 2025, intended to align it with the futuristic Neue Klasse EVs kicking off later this year.
Spy shots confirm a prominent new front end - set to echo the styling direction of the upcoming iX3 and next-gen 3 Series - while an interior overhaul is also on the cards.
BMW hasn’t officially confirmed changes to the cabin, but all signs point to the new Panoramic iDrive system making its way inside, bringing a larger head-up display (HUD), a new 17.9-inch angled touchscreen, a reshaped steering wheel, and the near-total removal of physical buttons.
Still classic under the skin
Importantly, this is a facelift - not a full platform shift. The 5 Series will retain its current CLAR underpinnings and stick with the same engine options: a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with either a 205kW mild-hybrid or 220kW plug-in hybrid tune. The M5, meanwhile, is expected to soldier on with its thunderous 717kW 4.4-litre V8 plug-in hybrid setup.
That puts it in a curious spot - visually and digitally aligned with BMW’s EV future but still driven by petrol. It’s a necessary bridging move, as BMW works to future-proof its ICE range against the rapid onslaught of EVs.
One look, many faces
BMW’s design boss Adrian van Hooydonk made it clear: “We will make sure that the form language we are developing now… will be rolled out over the entire product portfolio, leaving no car behind.”
According to van Hooydonk, while each model will retain distinct character traits, all will share a family resemblance grounded in the Neue Klasse design.
The 5 Series facelift will be followed by an updated X5 and revisions to the X2, X7, 2 Series, and 7 Series - some of which are less than three years old. It’s all part of BMW’s rapid strategy to ensure its combustion and electric offerings march forward together, stylistically and technologically.
As product boss Bernd Körber put it, the Neue Klasse represents “the next generation of all cars and all toolboxes” - ICE included. And that toolbox is opening fast.