The last time BMW introduced an all-new 5-series, the world took notice. Really, there was no other choice. Compared to the soothing familiarity of the outgoing E39 model, the new-for-2004 E60 range was like sand in the Vaseline. Following a new design language established by the 7-series in 2002 and the 6-series a year after that, the last 5-series remains very polarizing, despite the fact that it has been the best selling 5er ever. Seven years later, it’s time for an entirely new version; only this time BMW is sparing us the Shock and Awe campaign, instead offering a more elegant, more sporty, more conventional 5-series for 2011.

It’s impossible to talk about the new 5-series without first discussing the design. At first glance it’s easy to confuse it with a new 7-series. Gone are the awkward headlight and taillight shapes of the E60, along with the upright side panels and the unloved bustle-style trunk. The lines are more graceful than industrial; the sheetmetal recalls the cloth-bound GINA Light concept, whose skin was drawn taught over a purposeful, muscular framework. Adrian van Hooydonk, who oversaw the design development of the new 5 (its exterior was actually penned by designer Jacek Frohlich), considers it the perfect expression of “BMW-ness,” conveying at once an athletic, sporty nature and an air of elegance. Its look of athleticism comes from a lack of unnecessary visual bulk, while its newfound elegance is largely the result of longer and lower character lines that really work the interplay of highlights and shadows.

To pull this off, BMW has grown the 5-series over the last model; overall length is up 1.8 inches (to 192.9), but the wheelbase has grown by 3.2 inches (to 113.7). With less bodywork overhang, the mid-section of the car appears more drawn out, especially the amount of sheetmetal between the front wheels and doors. It works on this car, which looks like a perfect amalgamation of the facelifted-for-2009 3-series sports sedan and the new-for-2009 7-series luxury sedan.

All of the bodywork is exemplary of contemporary BMW design, and by that we mean the current language that parts ways with the tense, controversial aesthetic of that defined the last 5- and 7-series, and still lives in the 6-series. The surfacing of the hood starts at the roundel and arcs back to the base of the A-pillar with a modest power bulge sculpted down the center. The character line on the side of the body starts just behind the front fender, using the now common convex-leading-to-concave detail to define the profile. We’ve seen these details before on other new BMWs, but they’ve been edited ever so slightly to give the 5 its own identity.

The upright nose and grille, which can look a bit imposing in pictures, actually seem to recall the popular E39 5-series of 1996-2003. The headlights offer historical BMW perspective to the face, with the signature twin-round lamps set off by LED-illuminated corona rings. An integrated “eyebrow” in each unit cuts off the tops the circles in the same way that the 5-series’ hoods used to when headlights were still individual round lamps, and the effect is the same – to create a focused, somewhat menacing look as it closes in on slower moving traffic. The lighting effects department had a hand in the taillights as well, creating the hockey-stick-shaped LED light tubes that not only function as running lights, but also clearly identify the car as a BMW at night.

The elegance of the exterior styling carries into the cabin as well, though arguably the interior leans even more toward the graceful side. The one detail that reminds you it’s still a driver’s car is the center stack, which is canted six degrees toward the command seat. Otherwise, flowing lines define the ambience inside, with high-quality materials trimming every surface. The hand-stitched door panels and the tasteful merging of wood and metal to create the wraparound waistrail are in stark contrast to the earliest versions of the E60, which featured more architectural lines rendered in molded plastic.

The 2011 5-series gets a pared-down version of the Black Panel feature first used in the 7-series that blends seamlessly with the rest of the instrument cluster and serves as a multi-function display. A fourth-generation iDrive interface is finally employed – as is a 10.2-inch full color display – for the many entertainment, navigation and connectivity options. Fortunately the climate controls still reside in their own easily accessible panel below the radio. And BMW finally figured out where to place the cupholders, positioning them just forward of the shifter rather than behind a trap door on the passenger’s side of the car.

The overall attractiveness of the new 5-series should be enough to entice buyers, but a large part of the model’s appeal has always been in the driving experience. Although it has gained a couple hundred pounds (a 535i automatic weighs in at nearly 3950 pounds) over the outgoing version, BMW has worked its magic, particularly in the chassis department, to make sure the newest 5-series still drives like a mid-size BMW. A new engine for the popular 535i and a new automatic transmission for the range help to overcome the effects of the added mass.

The foundation for any great handling car is a solid chassis, and the monocoque of the new 5-series is 55-percent stiffer than before. The double-wishbone front suspension – first seen on the X5 and X6, and now also in use on the 5-series GT and 7-series – also provides better handling and response than the old MacPherson strut setup. A 50:50 weight distribution between the front and rear is achieved through the use of aluminum in the doors and the hood, contributing to better balance.

Though it sounds cliché, the new 535i that we drove on the winding coastal roads of Portugal actually drives like a smaller car than it is. Credit goes not only to an impressive platform, but also to technologies like electric power steering and the optional active steering package. Because the power steering pump is run by an independent electric motor, there is no correlation between engine speed and steering boost. Instead the system detects the amount of boost needed to satisfy the driver’s request and dials up only enough. Those parameters are painstakingly programmed by BMW chassis engineers, which is why the feel at the wheel is natural at all speeds. On the fast-changing valley roads we drove, the car responded promptly to fine adjustments without ever feeling twitchy, and there was never a sense of that we had asked the car to something it couldn’t. The active steering package, which was on all the test models at our disposal (brilliant move, BMW) adjusts the rear-wheel tracking during turns, either steering opposite the front wheels for better low-speed maneuverability (below 35 mph) or in the same direction as the front wheels for greater high-speed stability. This sort of trickery is how the nearly two-ton sedan feels so light in its lead loafers. It sound like we’re crediting a bunch of hocus pocus for making the 535i drive so well, but that’s not totally the case. Compared to the somewhat synthetic nature of vehicles like the X5M and X6M, the 535i’s high limits actually feel quite organic.

Power for our test vehicle came from BMW’s new 3.0-liter inline-six with a single-turbocharger and Valvetronic induction. Known internally as the N55, this new engine is actually a step forward from the twin-turbo N54 that moved the previous 535i. The new unit is lighter by just four pounds, but its main advantages are greater efficiency and better response. The basic block architecture is shared with the twin-turbo version, but that’s about it.

The single turbocharger is spooled by a pair of vanes, each one fed by three cylinders worth of exhaust gas. By splitting the exhaust stream in two, the outflow remains smoother and there is less turbulence. This allows for a faster, more efficient spool-up. BMW’s Valvetronic system varies the intake valve lift to control engine speed rather than using a conventional throttle butterfly. Again, it comes down to more efficient airflow; a freer breathing engine uses less fuel to produce the same power as a less efficient engine.

Output for the N55 is identical (on paper anyway) to the N54 at 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft, though torque now peaks a full 200 rpms sooner at 1200 rpm and remains one-hundred percent available through 5000 rpm. Turbo lag, while still present, is minimal and most drivers won’t notice it at all. The extra weight of the new model dulls the effect of the power a bit, but the N55 is more than adequate for getting off the line. From a dead standstill the 535i should get to sixty miles per hour within 5.8 seconds. More interesting is the engine’s induction song, which sounds very little like its twin-turbo relative – or any other turbo engine really – but more closely resembles a small V8.

A six-speed manual transmission will be offered on the 535i, but most will probably be sold with the optional eight-speed automatic. It’s a very good ‘box, as you might expect, and a good match for the turbo-six. Automatic shifting is swift and silent, and sport mode does a great job of providing just enough visceral engagement to keep you entertained; manual selection requires only a flick of the shift lever or a slap of the new pull-type paddle shifters, which now get individual paddles dedicated to either up- or down-shifts, not a set of twins.

On the extensive list of options is Adaptive Drive Control, which not only remaps the throttle for Normal, Comfort or Sport settings, but also changes the automatic transmission’s shifting behaviors and adjusts the suspension’s dynamic dampers. The default setting is Normal, which provides a traditional BMW driving experience. Comfort mode might best be reserved for long, straight trip over less than perfect roads with passengers; it’s not wallowy like an old American car, but it’s also not nearly as taught as the German car ideal. Consider it the Lexus setting. Sport mode brings everything – engine, trans and suspension – into greater focus for the driver; a Sport+ mode kicks off the traction control as well (though stability control remains active).

The new 5-series is available with an impressive array of electronic hardware. Adaptive cruise control can be had, but you override the “active” part off in the event you can’t handle the large gaps it leaves between you and the next car. Other goodies include lane departure warning, lane change warning, heads-up display, night vision camera, surround-view camera, and Internet connectivity; all this in addition to the usual premium sound system and navigation system.

We’re anxious to experience the 400-horsepower 550i version, which we understand will also be offered with a manual transmission and sport package as something of a sleeper M5. The 535i and 550i will arrive in the spring of 2010, and a 528i version will be offered sometime in the summer. All-wheel-drive will be offered on all engine variants (automatic only) by the end of the year, and BMW North America hasn’t entirely ruled out bringing a 2011 5-series wagon.

Our first impression of the new 535i left us, well, impressed. It strikes a fairly ideal balance of sport and luxury in an all-around attractive package. It’s not as avant garde as its predecessor, but we’d be surprised if its less polarizing appearance doesn’t invite a few more buyers. Any doubters who get behind the wheel are certain to be won over.

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