2016 BMW 5 Series wagon spied inside and out
Our latest set of BMW 5 Series photos show the next-generation nearing wagon production from both the inside and the outside.
Over the last few years, we've featured a steady stream of spy photos of the next-generation BMW 5 Series in both sedan and wagon guises.
In these latest photos, shot on and around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, we can see a 5 Series wagon prototype wearing a production-ready front end complete with headlights, grille and front fascia.
Out the back, though, this car is still wearing temporary off-the-shelf LED tail-lights and reflectors.
Despite the swathes of fabric covering up large parts of the interior, it's clear that the new 5 Series won't diverge far from the styling template laid out in recent BMW reveals.
There's a large high resolution tablet-screen rising high above a centre stack that's angled, ever so slightly, towards the driver. In the centre tunnel sitting next to the iDrive controller is the company's joystick-style transmission controller.
As with the latest 7 Series sedan, which was unveiled earlier this year, the new 5 Series is based on BMW's new "35up" lightweight architecture.
With a mix of high-strength steel and aluminium, as well as some carbonfibre, the new 5 Series is expected to shed around 100 kilograms compared to today's car. In time, the 35up component set will underpin all of the brand's rear-wheel drive vehicles.
If BMW follows through on its stated goals, the new 5 Series will be offered with the usual assortment of turbocharged petrol and diesel motors, as well as a plug-in hybrid variant.
Expect the new 5 Series to be revealed some time in 2016.