The latest round of testing for the Euro NCAP has taken place with results at either end of the star system.

Euro NCAP releases the test results of two new cars. The BMW 5 Series gets a top five-star safety rating and FIAT’s made-over Doblò gets three stars.

Launched late last year, the seventh-generation BMW 5 Series continues its successful track record in Euro NCAP’s Executive Car segment. 

The car showed good all-round performance in crash protection and avoidance tests thanks to its new platform, body and updated safety features. 

Track tests demonstrated that the autonomous braking system can effectively assist the driver in avoiding or mitigating critical rear-end crashes with other cars and pedestrians. 

With an 81 percent score, the 5-series particularly impressed in pedestrian safety through its standard-fit “Person Warning” system and active bonnet.

Thirteen years after the tests on the original FIAT Doblò, Euro NCAP has taken another look at the versatile small MPV. The latest generation Doblò was already introduced in 2010 and is also sold by Opel and Vauxhall brands as Combo. 

The version tested by Euro NCAP is the 2015 Doblò facelift that includes, apart from small safety updates, cosmetic upgrades aimed at extending the lifecycle of the car. 

The three-star Euro NCAP safety rating, however, reveals the car’s true age and highlights the lack of ambition to compete on safety with other, more modern competitors in the segment. 

The Opel/Vauxhall Combo has not received a similar facelift, so would be expected to end up with even fewer stars, but Opel have their eyes fixed on the future.

WHAT CAR AWARDS - And the overall Car Of The Year goes to the BMW 5-Series Saloon.

• All-new BMW 5 Series Saloon is named What Car? Car of the Year 2017.
• Judges praise the new BMW 5 Series for its interior design, driving capabilities and driver assistance technology.
• BMW 520d SE Saloon model takes home the award for Best Luxury Car.
• BMW i3 and BMW M140i recognised as 'best buys' in their respective categories.
• BMW 5 Series is available to order now, prices start from £36,025 OTR.

The all-new BMW 5 Series Saloon has been honoured with one of the motoring industry’s highest accolades: the What Car? Car of the Year Award for 2017. 

The newcomer took the top honour, along with the Best Luxury Car category award, at the magazine’s annual presentation event, staged on 11 January in London.

At the awards, Editorial Director at What Car?, Jim Holder, said: “It’s hard to recall another year with so many exceptional new models vying for our overall Car of the Year award, which makes the BMW 5 Series’ victory all the more impressive.”

“The 520d SE with optional variable dampers is the pick of the 5 Series range. But whichever version you choose, you’ll be getting one of the classiest and most comfortable cars on sale today,” said Holder.

The BMW 5 Series has also been awarded the title of Best Luxury Car with the judges praising its semi-autonomous drive capability, driving dynamics and high level of standard equipment.

Hildegard Wortmann, BMW Group’s Senior Vice President, BMW Brand, collected the award on the night and commented: “For the BMW 5 Series to win the prestigious ‘Car of the Year’ award is an honour and testament to the hard work that goes into producing one of BMW’s core models. 

The BMW 5 Series is a brand shaping saloon and in times of rapid change within the automotive industry we believe the seventh generation model points the way into the future. It is a truly outstanding car and I am very grateful to What Car? for this great recognition.”

With approximately 7.9 million BMW 5 Series cars sold across the globe thus far, the seventh generation BMW 5 Series continues the finest tradition of its forebears by offering an unsurpassed blend of driving dynamics, comfort and functionality. 

The latest BMW 5 Series Saloon uses the very latest technology from within BMW to create a saloon that’s more refined than ever before, significantly lighter, safer, and more fuel efficient. The new generation family of TwinPower Turbo engines provide impressive performance gains, but also show major advances in reducing fuel consumption and emissions. An extensive suite of driver assistance technologies including BMW Lane Keeping Assistant and Lane Change Assistant mean that not only does the new BMW 5 Series Saloon reduce the driver’s workload like never before, it also takes a notable step towards fully autonomous driving.

Other technologies include, Remote Control Parking – as seen first on the new BMW 7 Series – and the optional Parking Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus packages, which enable automated parking with the greatest of ease in both parallel parking spaces and perpendicular or angled spaces. Surround View and Remote 3D View offer peace of mind to anyone who frequently finds themselves manoeuvring in awkward traffic situations and the optional Display Key offers a host of other functions with Remote operation of the auxiliary ventilation being just one example.

As standard on the BMW 5 Series, the latest generation of the Professional Navigation system boasts a fast start-up, even faster route calculation and more realistic 3D graphics in cities. BMW is now the first carmaker to offer Microsoft Office 365 users a secure server connection for exchanging and editing emails, calendar entries and contact details thanks to the car’s built-in Microsoft Exchange function.

BMW 5 Series is available to order now, prices start from £36,025 OTR.

In addition to the outright accolades, two more BMW models received price point plaudits – in the '£20,000-£40,000’ category, the BMW i3 94Ah earned a win in the Electric Car category and in the Hot Hatch category the BMW M140i was rated as the pick of the bunch in the ‘more than £25,000’ bracket.

The BMW i3 94Ah replaced the previous 60Ah model and has a capacity of 33kWh thanks to the higher storage density of the lithium ion cells. With the range increased to a maximum of 195 miles according to the NEDC cycle the judges on the What Car? editorial team commended the BMW i3 94Ah for its premium feel, comfort and its sustainable production methods. As for the BMW M140i, the judges applauded the eight-speed automatic gearbox for “contributing to the car’s remarkable dual personality”.

NAIAS - BMW announces pricing for the BMW 530e iPerformance sedan & M550i xDrive.

• The BMW 530e Sedan is the first BMW iPerformance model to be offered in both sDrive Rear-wheel drive and xDrive All-wheel drive.
• The BMW 530e Sedan is the fourth member in the U.S. of the growing BMW iPerformance model lineup, bearing testimony to the transfer of engineering excellence from BMW i.
• The BMW M550i xDrive Sedan is the fastest 5 Series to date – 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds.
• The BMW M550i xDrive Sedan features a specially tuned chassis that combines precise driving dynamics with uncompromised everyday usability.

Today, during its world premiere at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, BMW announced pricing for the latest additions to the new BMW 5 Series model portfolio: the BMW 530e iPerformance Sedan and the BMW M550i xDrive Sedan. 

Both vehicles will be arriving in U.S. showrooms in spring 2017.

The 2018 BMW 530e iPerformance Sedan will be available starting at $51,400 and the BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance Sedan for $53,700, plus $995 Destination and Handling. 

As the fourth addition to the U.S. iPerformance model portfolio, BMW once again showcases its commitment to efficiency without compromising dynamics. 

As for its power source, trailblazing BMW eDrive technology teams up an eDrive electric motor with a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo combustion engine to create an exceptionally efficient and powerful plug-in hybrid drive system. Combined system output of 248 hp and 310 lb-ft. of peak torque propels the BMW 530e iPerformance Sedan from 0 to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds and the BMW 530e xDrive iPerformance Sedan in 5.8 seconds. The iPerformance badge attached to all of BMW’s plug-in hybrid models bears testimony to the transfer of engineering excellence from BMW i.

The 2018 BMW M550i xDrive Sedan will be available starting at $72,100 plus $995 Destination and Handling. This vehicle takes the top spot in the current BMW 5 Series lineup and is the latest addition to the BMW M Performance model family of vehicles that combine everyday usability with the power and driving dynamics that will elate even the most discerning enthusiast. The BMW M550i xDrive Sedan is also the first M Performance model to be powered by a specifically modified M Performance TwinPower Turbo 4.4 liter 8-cylinder engine. This V8 is equipped with two twin-scroll turbochargers and features a High Precision Injection system, Valvetronic fully variable valve lift and Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing control. This technology adds up to an output of 456 hp at 5,500 rpm and peak torque of 480 lb-ft from just 1,800 rpm, propelling the BMW M550i xDrive Sedan from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and then on to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. Adding to this state-of-the-art engine are BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive with rear-wheel bias and a bespoke M Performance chassis set-up, helping to create the fastest and most agile BMW 5 Series to date

The 10 most searched cars on auto Trader for 2016 include 7 German brands, two Fords and a Vauxhall.

Auto Trader has announced the most searched for cars of the year, revealing the 10 make and models most popular amongst the circa 60 million monthly visitors to the marketplace in 2016, which currently has almost half a million cars listed for sale on the site.  

The BMW 3 series was the most searched for car on Auto Trader in 2016, a title the vehicle has held on the UK’s largest automotive marketplace for a sixth consecutive year. 

Beating two of its BMW stablemates in both the 1 Series and 5 Series, the 3 Series topped a list that was dominated by premium vehicles in 2016, which made up 75% of the Top 10 list.

Jon Quirk, Auto Trader’s Editor-in-Chief, said, “The BMW 3 series continues its dominance as the most searched for car on Auto Trader, while the overall popularity for premium vehicles continues. This is due, in part, to an expansive new car portfolio and the availability of low rate finance. Small family cars have been big news in 2016 too, as they can provide superb levels of in-car technology, safety and refinement in more compact, more efficient and cost effective packages.”

The rise in UK car buyers on the lookout for more premium models led to a significant rise in searches for the 3 Series rival, the Mercedes-Benz C Class, which rose two places in the Top 10 search list in 2016 to take the Bronze spot from the Ford Focus.

The Volkswagen Golf also continues to be a highly desirable for UK car buyers in 2016, as it becomes the second most searched for car on Auto Trader for the eighth year running.

Making a prediction for 2017, Quirk said, “2017 is going to be the year of the small car. The small car league table will see a host of new competition - the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Citroen C3 and Seat Ibiza will all have brand new models in 2017, not to mention the totally reinvented Nissan Micra.”

Looking at how some of next year’s new car launches might impact search behaviour, Quirk added, “We're also expecting to see an increase in the number of searches for electric vehicles, with refreshed models like the Renault Zoe promising better range and the release of the Tesla Model 3 – the Ford Focus-sized electric car with a 200+ mile range costing £30k – which should bring mass appeal for UK car buyers.”

Top 10 most searched for cars on Auto Trader in 2016

Rank	Make	Model
1	BMW	3 SERIES
2	VOLKSWAGEN	GOLF
3	MERCEDES-BENZ	C CLASS
4	FORD	FOCUS
5	BMW	5 SERIES
6	BMW	1 SERIES
7	FORD	FIESTA
8	AUDI	A3
9	MERCEDES-BENZ	E CLASS
10	VAUXHALL	ASTRA

The world’s most successful business saloon is now also available as a plug-in hybrid.

• The world’s most successful business saloon is now also available as a plug-in hybrid.
• Lithium-Ion high voltage battery with a capacity of 9.2kWh.
• Most efficient BMW 5 Series ever at 46g/km of C0₂.
• Pure electric range of 29 miles. • Available to order from mid-January, OTR prices start from £43,985.

In March 2017, a plug-in hybrid variant of the all new BMW 5 Series will complete the 5 Series range. Featuring technology derived directly from the BMW i brand, the BMW 530e iPerformance Saloon offers a dynamic driving experience with exceptionally efficient performance as well as all-electric mobility with zero tailpipe emissions, as and when required.

The intelligently controlled interaction between the combustion engine and the electric drive, which together generate a total system output of 252hp, gives the BMW 530e Saloon rapid acceleration while offering a substantial reduction in fuel consumption and emissions. The BMW 530e achieves combined fuel consumption of 141.2mpg, and a combined electricity consumption of 9.2kWh with CO₂ emissions of just 46g/km.

Power delivery on a par with a high-displacement combustion engine.

The BMW eDrive system’s state-of-the-art electric motor has an output of 95hp and maximum torque of 250Nm, while the four-cylinder combustion engine with its 2.0-litre displacement generates 184hp and 320Nm of torque. The overall system output of 252hp and combined peak torque of 420Nm allows the BMW 530e to sprint from zero to 62mph in 6.2 seconds and enable it to reach a top speed of 146mph while CO₂ emissions of the BMW 530e are just 46g/km.

The BMW 530e iPerformance has a range of nearly 400 miles in real-world driving and is capable of covering distances of up to 29 miles using purely electric power at a maximum speed of 87mph. The electric motor and combustion engine direct their power to the saloon’s rear wheels via the standard eight-speed Steptronic transmission. Positioning the electric motor upstream from the transmission allows the transmission’s ratios to be used in all-electric mode too. This dispenses with the need for a torque converter, reducing the overall weight of the vehicle.

The high-voltage battery pack, consisting of lithium-ion cells with a total capacity of 9.2kWh, has been placed in a space-saving location underneath the rear seat and includes efficient refrigerant cooling with a highly integrated low-temperature circuit. Thanks to the battery’s neat installation, the BMW 530e Saloon offers 410 litres of boot capacity and a flat load compartment floor. The high-voltage battery of the BMW 530e Saloon can be fully charged in under five hours from a standard domestic power socket and in under three hours if it is hooked up to a BMW i Wallbox (3.7 kW charging capacity).

Model	Power Hp	Torque Nm	0 – 62mph Seconds	Top Speed Mph	Combined Mpg	CO2 Emissions g/km	OTR Price from
530e	Engine: 184 Electric: 95 Total: 252	Engine: 320 Electric: 250 Total: 420	6.2	155**	141.2 *	46*	£43,985

* Figures are provisional, based on the EU test cycle and may vary depending on the tyre format specified.

** Electronically limited.