BMW's new 5-series, its premium luxury sedan, went on sale earlier this year. We were invited to the Cape Town launch, where a chauffeur-driven fleet of the new 5s gave us a first taste of the car's ultra-refined ride. Whipped cream seems lumpy, in comparison.
In stark contrast, the actual drive can be super-exciting, at least in the turbo-petrol 535i. The three-litre turbocharged engine, now with one turbo instead of two, still produces the same power as the outgoing engine, yet manages to feel stronger and use less fuel. Find an empty road and revel in the 5-series' ability to transform into a capable corner-carver, thanks in part to the passive rear-wheel steering system, standard on all models.
The diesel-engined 530d is a more relaxed drive, lacking the frenetic, rev-happy nature its petrol sibling enjoys. Instead, it's a powerful, economical, long-distance tourer. Other engines on offer include a 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrol and two-litre turbo diesel (the 520d, one of our favourite variants from the previous generation 5-series). All powerplants are mated, as standard, to a silky-smooth, eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Germans are no strangers to new technology, either. While optional, a lot of the technology in the new 5-series is first-to-segment, and makes a real difference to the ownership experience. Buyers can tick options boxes for everything from electric seats and climate control to adaptive headlights and night-vision cameras. Prices start at R485 000 for a base 520d, while our specced-up launch cars were kitted out to just over R700 000.
Gadgets on board
Birds-eye park camera, park assist, night vision, eight-speed automatic gearbox, climate control, heated seats, iPod integration, satnav, iDrive.
Mighty MiTo
Alfa Romeo, despite its unfavourable legacy, has some great products on the market. Modern automakers owe a fair share to the advances made by the Italians, thanks to improvements in engine and gearbox technology they have perfected.
Now, the inventors of the common-rail diesel engine (the technology that's behind all modern diesel motors) have made new advances on the petrol front. Its MultiAir system does away with some of the traditional engine components (namely, one of the camshafts) and replaces it with hydraulically actuated valves and clever engine management.
What does this mean? Well, the new, small capacity,1.4-litre turbo engines are producing more power, more efficiently.
During our launch drive along the pockmarked roads of rural Mpumalanga, the zesty new MiTo models, both kitted out with a MultiAir-equipped engine, returned fantastic fuel consumption. While we didn't exactly do an economy run, Alfa's figures of six litres per 100km are very believable.
The two new models sandwich last year's car-of-the-year finalist, the MiTo Distinctive. The entry-level Mito Progression has a slightly less powerful MultiAir engine producing 100kW and 206Nm of torque, while the sportier MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde (literally, green four-leaf clover) has a similar engine, but produces 125kW and 250Nm.
Both models come with seven airbags as standard, the same as the original MiTo, and also share the first model's other safety systems. Thanks to the new engines, these new cars can also be had with a start-stop system that powers off the engine, instead of letting it idle, helping reduce emissions and consumption.
Gadgets on board
Blue & Me, DNA drive-select system, climate control, ESP, ABS, start-stop technology, MultiAir engines.
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