What's all this about?

Probably BMW's most important news story this year - the full unveiling of its seventh generation 5 Series saloon, known as the 'G30' internally. It's larger, lighter, more efficient and faster than before, plus it's packed with technology and a high standard specification in the UK. It goes on sale this month with prices starting at £36,025 on-the-road.

Tell us about the best-selling versions first...

The most popular 5 Series model in the UK is the 520d M Sport and though its peak outputs are unchanged at 190hp and 400Nm of torque, it's more efficient than before, with emissions of 108g/km and 68.8mpg economy. That's thanks to a weight reduction across the board of about 100kg and a reduction in the drag coefficient too. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard across the line-up. The M Sport cars look the sportiest as before, inside and out, though all models come with LED headlights as standard.

I'd like a little more power thanks.

Then how about the six-cylinder 530d? It has 265hp and 620Nm of torque at its disposal, for 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds, yet returns 60.1mpg and emits 124g/km. Seems the best of both worlds. Go for xDrive four-wheel drive on that model and it's faster accelerating again, though less efficient. Actually, on that point, this is the first 5 Series sold in the UK to come with the option of xDrive and buyers can fit it to virtually any model they like, including the 520d.

Ok, enough diesel talk, what about petrol options?

The entry-level petrol 5 Series is badged the 530i, but don't be fooled: it is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Key numbers are 252hp, 350Nm, 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, 48.7mpg and 132g/km. If you want a six-cylinder petrol engine then you'll need the 540i, which will be offered in the UK solely with xDrive four-wheel drive. That handles 340hp and 450Nm of torque for a blistering 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds. The current M5, remember, takes 4.4 seconds to reach that speed. And the 540i isn't even the quickest version of the new 5 Series announced, as BMW will launch the M550i xDrive in 2017 packing a turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 with 462hp and 650Nm of torque that'll scorch to 62mph from rest in four seconds dead. But you know what?

What?

We're not getting the M550i xDrive in the UK. Apparently.

Boooo! Is that it for engines for now?

It is at launch, although soon after the first wave of Fives hits the market, we'll have two more additions to the ranks. The first is an EfficientDynamics model of the 520d, which uses various eco-trickery on the same 190hp drivetrain to improve the green stats to 72.4mpg and 102g/km CO₂. The other is the plug-in hybrid model of the 5 Series.

Ah, now we're talking. Is this an iPerformance car?

Yes indeed, the 530e iPerformance, using the four-cylinder, 2.0-litre petrol engine with associated electrical components as seen on the 330e, X5 xDrive40e and 740e models that all exist. For the Five, peak output is rated at 252hp and the relevant fuel-saving numbers are 134.5mpg, 49g/km of CO₂, a fully electric range of 28 miles and an 87mph top speed in zero-emissions running. That means it is closest to the 330e in terms of its specification.

And has BMW actually bothered redesigning it? Only it looks a lot like a facelifted F10...

Fear not, this is an all-new car from the ground up. It's 36mm longer, 6mm wider, 2mm taller and up to 100kg lighter than the sixth-gen car. If you want the overall stats of the G30, you're talking a length of 4,935mm (it's loooong), 1,868mm broad and a height of 1,466mm. It also has a drag co-efficient of 0.22 in various trims, meaning it's efficient at scything through the air. Expect a choice of 21 different paint finishes, alloys from 17- to 20 inches in size and exhausts that are always split to each side of the rear bumper: they'll be circular, trapezoidal, rectangular or in a quartet (ah, the M5...), depending on which model you've chosen.

How about the interior?

It's influenced by that of the 7 Series, with a lower dashboard and a standalone infotainment screen. Gesture control and a 10.25-inch hi-res touchscreen are the highlights, although you can also specify a new BMW Head-Up Display, a Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system with diamond dome tweeters and a 1,400-watt output, massaging seats and a ten-device WiFi hotspot system. BMW also fits the Five with Intelligent Voice Assistant, said to be the 'most advanced level of natural voice control' currently available.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Well, BMW maintains that the 5 Series is still a driver's car, but at the same time it has introduced a lot of semi-autonomous driving tech to make it comfortable in all situations. Among the usual refinements like Active Cruise Control (an option) and Speed Limit Info, there are additions like Speed Limit Assist (which takes into account speed restrictions further along the driver's route for a 'more proactive driving style'), Driving Assistant Plus safety package - including Lane Keeping Assistant, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Change Warning, as well as Side Collision Warning, which can tell the driver if a car at the side of them is encroaching into the BMW's lane via visual signals and steering wheel vibrations - and an enhanced version of Lane Change Assistant that is evasion aid; this last feature can input corrective counter-steering inputs in the event of a quick swerving manoeuvre. And our favourite gadget is Wrong-Way Warning: does what it says on the tin, this one, by using the navigation to detect if the driver is going the wrong way onto a motorway, one-way street or roundabout.