BMW 520d SE named WhatCar? Car of the Year 2017

The winners of the 2017 WhatCar? Awards were announced last night at a ceremony in London’s Park Lane.

BMW’s 520d SE has been named as WhatCar? Car of the Year 2017. The model features self-driving technology which allows it to drive autonomously for short distances.

BMW senior vice-president Hildegard Wortmann said: “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 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.”

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.”

What Car? and Thatcham Research also presented the Safety Award to the Toyota Prius.