EXECUTIVE saloons have tended to be synonymous with expensive running costs but the latest BMW 5 Series is set to well and truly consign any such notion to the history books.

Okay, so the initial outlay hardly puts it in the ‘budget buy' bracket but with emissions of just 160g/km and a combined economy figure of more than 46mpg, this is a car that looks set to revolutionise the segment.

The 5 Series has always been a benchmark car, setting standards which its competitors generally try to match and this time it will be its ‘greenness' which others will be trying to emulate.

After shocking many with the overtly muscular Chris Bangle design language a few years back, BMW has been in the process of toning down their design lines - with the obvious exception of the X6.

The latest 5 Series is probably the most toned-down offering to date.

That said its conception is rather clever too. At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking it looks rather ordinary but to my mind it also has a rather regal look too.

So, while it's not in any way avant-garde or unusual it does have a kind of presence which I think is rather classically and quintessentially BMW, almost harking back to the simple elegance of BMWs from the seventies and eighties rather than trying to be cutting edge or different.

The interior is very much the modern BMW though, with instrumentation that is contemporary, of exceptionally high quality and designed very much with the driver in mind.

The 5 Series comes well equipped, even in standard guise with leather upholstery, parking sensors and a range of technology that includes Bluetooth, parking sensors and a much improved iDrive system, that doesn't require a degree in computer programming in order to use it effectively.

Other pluses about this latest model are increased interior space. Surprisingly some so-called executive saloons can be somewhat cramped, particularly in the rear, but this latest sixth generation version, is both spacious and sumptuous.

Traditionally the 5 Series' greatest strength has been its driving dynamics and again in this respect the latest incarnation does not disappoint.

Having driven both the fourth and fifth generation versions and been impressed I have to say this one is even better.

Without doubt the company's reputation for turning out truly great drivers' cars remains undiminished and it has upped its game yet again.

It handles superbly and has that kind of Jekyll and Hyde character that is so great in a sports saloon, switching deftly from everyday family motor to agile and capable sporting thoroughbred when the occasion demands it.

You can get from 0-60 in just 6.3 seconds but swiftness apart it is while navigating twisting B roads where the BMW really comes into its own.

Better still, there's little compromise when it comes to ride quality, with it managing to feel smooth, sedate and comfortable on all surfaces.

Best of all though, its prowess comes with a level of economy that could only have been dreamed of as recently as a decade ago. This 3.0-litre diesel is almost as economical as a 2.0-litre version of the fifth generation model.

And amazingly the automatic, which costs £1,495 more than the manual, offers lower emissions and better economy.