---
title: "The New 5-Series Owes Much of its Success to its Sixth Generation"
description: "A lot of innovative tech found itself in place in the outgoing 5-Series."
date: "2017-02-06"
modified: "2017-02-06"
authors:
  - name: "Caleb Jacobs"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/caleb-jacobs"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/7424/the-new-5-series-owes-much-of-its-success-to-its-sixth-generation"
categories:
  - "BMW News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "5 Series"
  - "BMW"
  - "consumer news"
  - "Future Cars"
  - "luxury"
  - "luxury cars"
  - "sedan"
---

# The New 5-Series Owes Much of its Success to its Sixth Generation

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/02/bmw-5-series-hero-image.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

https://youtube.com/embed/DM73RzMykf0

[The seventh generation 5-Series](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/7058/can-you-spot-the-differences-in-the-new-bmw-5-series>) is becoming the star of BMW's show. The newest flagship model is a host to the freshest technology offered by the manufacturer, giving us glimpses at what we can expect in the future. Although it features a boat load of new features specific to the seventh generation, the 5-Series couldn't do it without the help of the outgoing sixth generation F10.

BMW's sixth generation 5-Series was a revolution for luxury and accessibility. It offered new features that we'd never seen in a BMW before like Automatic Emergency Braking and semi-autonomous road going tech, something that we are [looking to see much more of in the coming model](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/6821/bmw-holoactive-touch-semi-autonomous-5-series-debuted-at-ces-2017>). It was a logical break from the off-the-wall E60 generation that returned sensibility to the sedan.

Without the sixth generation, we would surely be seeing a much different model come release time. It became the best selling 5-Series of all time while being perhaps the most usable, offering Touring and Gran Turismo variants that kept the same spirit alive with added utility. It ushered in an era of 5-Series that saw success world wide, and that's something that BMW hopes to carry on with the seventh generation.

![message-editor%2F1486431399601-bmw5-seriesgallery.jpeg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1486431399601-bmw5-seriesgallery.jpeg>)

## Author
Caleb Jacobs is The Drive’s senior editor. When he’s not searching for stories or poring over copy, he’s usually driving his dump truck or wishing it was running so he could drive it. He was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks, and he lives there today with his family.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-jacobs-319323119>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/calebjwords>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/calebjacobs0611>)