WITH the best SME Directors Company Car award, it’s a case of ‘meet the new boss, same as the old boss’, as the BMW 5-Series takes the crown for the second year in a row.

Every one of our judges put the 5-Series in their top two, despite some tough competition from the Mercedes E-Class and the all-electric Tesla Model-S.

After its win last year, we knew BMW was at the top of its game, but rather than rest on its laurels, they have slotted in a new TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, with best in class Co2 and fuel consumption figures .

SME directors won’t want for anything kit-wise either as the generous level of standard equipment on the BMW 520d SE Auto includes Xenon headlights, BMW Business Navigation System with a 6.5 inch display and BMW Emergency Call.

Despite the improvements to the Co2 and fuel consumption figures, our award winner, the 520d SE auto, has all the performance you’d expect of a BMW. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes just 7.7 seconds, yet CO2 emissions are an unbelievable 109g/km. That means company car tax can cost as little as £1151 per year.

Looking at the efficient engine and high level of standard kit is missing the point, as the 5-Series is still a keen drive and much fun is to be found on twisty country roads. The communicative steering and excellent chassis both ensure this is the driver’s choice of this class.

“The 5-Series is outstanding value for money, with an attractive list price, strong CO2 figures and really affordable rentals. A clear winner in my opinion,” said SME business car leasing authority Martin Brown, managing director of Fleet Alliance,

At just £269 per month, we can understand why any company director would be happy to be driving a BMW 5-Series, and now it is even cheaper to run, it’s not difficult to justify.

The SME Company Car of the Year Awards 2015 is sponsored by Concept Vehicle Leasing and Fleet Alliance.

Four key reasons why the 5-Series won

• Best in class Co2 and fuel figures
• SME directors won’t want for anything kit-wise
• Has all the performance you’d expect of a BMW
• The 5-Series is still a keen drive and much fun is to be found on country roads