BMW’s expansion into the electric vehicle realm has seen the introduction of two new combustion engine variants integrated with eDrive 48-volt mild hybrid technology: the 530e and 550e xDrive. These variants mark a strategic fusion of traditional combustion engines with BMW’s cutting-edge eDrive technology.
In the case of the 530e sedan, a potent combination of a four-cylinder petrol engine and BMW’s eDrive technology delivers a robust 299hp. Impressively, this amalgamation provides an electric range extending up to 103km, demonstrating the brand’s commitment to eco-friendly options without compromising power.
On the other hand, the 550e xDrive sedan boasts a formidable in-line six-cylinder engine, generating a substantial 489hp. Even in its electric-only mode, this model can achieve an impressive range of up to 90km, showcasing BMW’s dedication to providing diverse options within the hybrid spectrum.
Integral to these plug-in hybrids is the eDrive system, integrating an electric motor within an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission. This innovative setup enables exceptional fuel efficiency, aligning with BMW’s dedication to sustainability and reduced emissions.
To enhance the overall balance and storage capacity of the 5 Series, the lithium-ion battery, with an impressive usable energy content of up to 19.4 kWh, is strategically positioned within the car’s underbody. This placement optimises weight distribution and enhances the driving experience.
Moreover, the battery’s convenience is further emphasised by its rapid charging capability, allowing a full charge in approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes. Additionally, adaptive recuperation technology enables the recovery of energy while driving, enhancing overall efficiency.
Both the 530e and 550e xDrive models boast a range of standard equipment, including distinctive 19-inch light alloy wheels and BMW’s IconicSounds Electric. The latter feature adds an acoustic dimension to the electric driving experience, providing feedback matching accelerator pedal movements and elevating the overall driving experience.
These models are part of BMW’s eighth-generation 5 Series platform, reflecting the brand’s holistic approach to mobility solutions that encompass both traditional combustion engines and a dynamic shift towards electrification, as evidenced by the all-electric i5 introduced earlier this year.
For both the brand-new 5 Series and i5 models, BMW has developed a variety of M Performance Parts, addressing the needs of consumers who want to improve the appearance of their executive cars.
The external options include a front spoiler lip, side skirts, a three-part rear diffuser, and a rear boot lid spoiler for cars with the M Sport or M Sport Pro package. These parts are made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), which makes them both light and strong. Also, available in CFRP material are optional extras like side mirror covers and an Aramid antenna cover.
Everyone is aware that China has a large enough market to warrant its own variations of current models. Just like China’s long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz E-Class, they now get a more spacious BMW 5 Series.
For the first time, the BMW 5 Series Sedan will be available in China with both combustion engines and an all-electric variant, the BMW i5. BMW has been teasing an electric 5 series for more than six years, and last month the BMW i5’s official manufacturing started.
The BMW 5 Series enters its eighth generation as the G60 and it looks stunning. It’s more dynamic than ever, featuring a wealth of digital innovations. Like all previous model generations, the new BMW 5 Series Sedan is produced at the BMW Group Plant Dingolfing.
Exterior
The dynamic elegance and presence of the new 5 Series Sedan are highlighted by a clean, minimalist design language. The new edition has extended in length by 97 millimetres to 5,060 millimetres, in width by 32 millimetres to 1,900 millimetres, and in height by 36 millimetres to 1,515 millimetres compared to the previous model. Its wheelbase increased to 2,995 millimetres, an increase of 20 millimetres.
An updated rendition of the BMW kidney grille and dual headlights define the new BMW 5 Series Sedan’s front look. Turn signals and daytime driving lights are provided by almost vertically aligned LED components. The far-forward BMW kidney grille has a broad surround and an available BMW Iconic Glow contour lighting system.
There was a time when carmakers tried very hard to prevent their prototypes from being seen and photographed. Back then, it was mainly professionals who hunted for the prototypes undergoing testing in remote places like the Arctic Circle, Death Valley (in America) and Africa. People like the Hans Lehmann, Brenda Priddy and the late Bob Dunne made a lot of money selling their pictures to magazines.
But with the advent of cameraphones and the possibility of anyone standing by the roadside taking a picture and then putting it on the internet where the whole world would see it, the thinking changed. And rather than let those people make money, the companies decided to exploit the attention by teasing the public with their own ‘spy shots’ of camouflaged cars.
During the course of a model cycle, updates are made to keep the model fresh as new competitors enter the market. Occasionally, there may also be special editions with enhanced value to draw customers.
Auto Bavaria, a leading authorised BMW dealership, has 30 units of the Limited Edition BMW 5 Series with M Performance Parts to offer, available in two versions – 530i M Sport and 530e M Sport, the latter a PHEV.
Both units are priced from RM347,000, with the usual unlimited mileage warranty and free scheduled servicing, as well as other benefits for being a BMW owner.
The BMW 5-Series is the best-selling executive sedan in the world, so there are obviously many on the road. For those who want their 5-Series to be a bit more exclusive, BMW Malaysia has prepared 36 units of a Dark Shadow Edition of the latest 530i M Sport.
RM10,000 more than standard version
Priced at RM392,800 (excluding insurance) – RM10,000 more than the 530i M Sport – the limited edition has a Carbon Black exterior colour with Shadow Line Part and M Performance Wheelset. The signature kidney grille is also finished in high-gloss black, and the window finishers are also in black. Also fitted are 20-inch M Performance light alloy wheels in Double-spoke style 669 M Orbitgrey.
Customers can choose either Black Dakota leather with blue stitching, or Cognac Dakota leather with contrast stitching.
Assembled locally at the BMW facility in Kedah, the 530i M Sport Dark Shadow Edition has a 2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol with an output of 252 bhp/350 Nm. Power goes to the rear wheels through an 8-speed Steptronic automatic transmission.
For online purchase only
While you can view the car at selected dealerships in the Klang Valley, you can only purchase the 530i M Sport Dark Shadow Edition via BMW Shop Online from January 4, 2021. The booking fee is just RM1,000.
Customers requiring financing for their purchase can consider the Balloon Financing Plan from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia. This plan has monthly instalments starting from RM4,488 (based on estimates of an 80% loan on a 5-year tenure), subjected to terms and conditions.
First introduced in 1972, with worldwide sales of the current generation reaching 600,000 units since 2016.
Sales launch of new updated 5-Series in Europe from July 2020.
Newly designed BMW kidney grille with slimmer LED headlights. Adaptive LED Matrix technology and BMW Laserlight also available.
Three-dimensional sculpted rear lights, all variants now have trapezoidal exhaust tailpipe finishers.
Light-alloy wheels in 18 to 20-inch sizes; 20-inch BMW Individual Air Performance Wheels available as an option for the first time.
Dashboard now has optional 12.3-inch Control Display (10.25-inch Control Display now standard). Seventh generation iDrive system.
Sensatec perforated trim variant for the seat surfaces and High-Gloss Black for controls on centre console.
Introduction of new 48V mild hybrid technology for all 4 and 6-cylinder engines; 48V starter-generator with 8 kW/11 bhp power spike to both lighten the combustion engine’s workload and boost power.
Further developed BMW TwinPower Turbo technology in 4 and 6-cylinder petrol engines with optimised petrol injection. All diesel engines now with two-stage turbocharging.
Optional Integral Active Steering offers greater assistance in low-speed manoeuvring, new version of chassis system now also available for plug-in hybrid models.
New driver assistance systems and extended functions. Optional Driving Assistant Professional now includes Active Navigation with the help of the Lane Change Assistant, automatic formation of emergency lane and junction warning (now with city braking) functions. 3D visualisation of the surrounding area shows traffic situations and possible interventions by the driver assistance systems in the instrument cluster.
New BMW Drive Recorder records up to 40 seconds of video footage from points around the vehicle.
BMW Operating System 7 opens up a host of potential new applications and connectivity options, as well as extended personalisation.
VARIANTS AVAILABLE (depending on market)
BMW 530e Sedan (BMW 530e xDrive Sedan)
4-cylinder petrol engine, plug-in hybrid. 1998 cc, 184 bhp at 5,000 – 6,500 rpm, 300 Nm at 1,350 – 4,000 rpm. Combined system output: 292 bhp/420 Nm,8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive)
BMW 530e Touring (BMW 530e xDrive Touring)
4-cylinder petrol engine, plug-in hybrid. 1998 cc, 184 bhp at 5,000 – 6,500 rpm, 300 Nm at 1,350 – 4,000 rpm. Combined system output: 292 bhp/420 Nm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive)
BMW 545e xDrive Sedan
6-cylinder in-line petrol engine, plug-in hybrid system. 2998 cc, 210 kW/286 hp at 5,000 – 6,000 rpm, 450 Nm at 1,500 – 3 500 rpm. Combined system output: 394 hp/600 Nm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, BMW xDrive.
BMW 520i Sedan
4-cylinder petrol engine with mild hybrid technology. 1998 cc, 184 bhp at 5,000 – 6,500 rpm, 290 Nm at 1,350 – 4 250 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission
BMW 520i Touring
4-cylinder petrol engine with mild hybrid technology. 1998 cc, 184 bhp at 5,000 – 6,500 rpm, 290 Nm at 1,350 – 4 250 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission
BMW 530i Sedan (BMW 530i xDrive Sedan)
4-cylinder petrol engine with mild hybrid technology. 1998 cc, 252 bhp at 5,200 – 6,500 rpm, 350 Nm at 1,450 – 4,800 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive)
BMW 530i Touring (BMW 530i xDrive Touring)
4-cylinder petrol engine with mild hybrid technology. 1998 cc, 252 bhp at 5,200 – 6,500 rpm, 350 Nm at 1,450 – 4,800 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission (BMW xDrive)
BMW 540i Sedan (BMW 540i xDrive Sedan)
6-cylinder in-line petrol engine with mild hybrid technology. 2998 cc, 333 bhp at 5,500 – 6,250 rpm, 450 Nm at 1,600 – 4,800 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission (BMW xDrive)
BMW 540i xDrive Touring
6-cylinder in-line petrol engine with mild hybrid technology, 2998 cc, 333 bhp at 5,500 – 6,250 rpm, 450 Nm at 1,600 – 4,800 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission (BMW xDrive)
BMW M550i xDrive Sedan
V8 petrol engine. 4395 cc, 530 bhp at 5,500 – 6,000 rpm, 750 Nm at 1 800 – 4 600 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, BMW xDrive.
BMW 520d Sedan (BMW 520d xDrive Sedan)
4-cylinder diesel engine with mild hybrid technology. 1995 cc, 190 bhp at 4,000 rpm, 400 Nm at 1,750 – 2,500 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive).
BMW 520d Touring (BMW 520d xDrive Touring)
4-cylinder diesel engine with mild hybrid technology. 1995 cc, 190 bhp at 4,000 rpm, 400 Nm at 1,750 – 2,500 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive).
BMW 530d Sedan (BMW 530d xDrive Sedan)
6-cylinder in-line diesel engine with mild hybrid technology. 2993 cc, 286 bhp at 4,000 rpm, 650 Nm at 1,500 – 2,500 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive).
BMW 530d Touring (BMW 530d xDrive Touring)
6-cylinder in-line diesel engine with mild hybrid technology. 2993 cc, 286 bhp at 4,000 rpm, 650 Nm at 1,500 – 2,500 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive).
BMW 540d xDrive Sedan
6-cylinder in-line diesel engine with mild hybrid technology. 2993 cc, 340 bhp at 4,000 rpm, 700 Nm at 1,750 – 2,250 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive).
BMW 540d xDrive Touring
6-cylinder in-line diesel engine with mild hybrid technology. 2993 cc, 340 bhp at 4,000 rpm, 700 Nm at 1,750 – 2,250 rpm, 8-speed Steptronic transmission, (BMW xDrive).
There’s a saying in the car enthusiast fraternity, that a family that drives together, stays together. This is especially true in the case of the Caccavo family, where the dad, mum and son, each drive a well looked after E28 BMW 5-Series car.
It all started when the dad, Dean Caccavo decided to look for a clean E28 M5 that was relatively affordable, in good condition and was able to offer immense driving pleasure. After patiently waiting for prices of the M5 to dip to an acceptable level, Dean was able to pick one up that was in relatively good condition.
Seeing this, his wife wanted in on the action and so did his son, which lead to all three of them having very different yet similar E28 5-Series that they use as their daily drivers. It’s a touching story that should serve as a reminder to those who think that older cars don’t have the ability to cope with as much abuse as more modern ones. Check out this awesome video by Petrolicious video to for the full story about how the Caccavo family fell in love with the E28.
In general, the E28 was the second generation 5-Series that BMW made, it replaced the aging E12 and was produced from 1981 to 1988. The car was 4,620mm long, 1,700mm wide and 1,415mm high, which is considerably smaller than the current generation 5-Series. But back then, cars of that era were heavy and less powerful than the ones we have today.
There were a number of engine options to choose from, ranging from a 1.8-lire four cylinder to a 3.5-litre straight six that helped produce a sweet sounding exhaust note. Variants of the car included the 518, 518i, 520i, 525i, 525e/528e, 528i, 533i, 535i, M535i and the M5.
The E28 was eventually replaced with the more robust E34 that proved to be a hit among executive car buyers around the world. That said, the E28 is still respected among many and is still a decent classic by today’s standards.
It’s finally here, BMW Group Malaysia has launched the latest generation of the 5-Series here in Malaysia. At the moment, only the 530i M Sport has been made available to order. But as a whole, the 5-Series range features a slew of tech that make it a formidable foe to the S-Class.
Now, in its seventh-generation, the new car has a comparatively different look to its predecessor. It’s kidney grille and headlights are now directly linked, a design feature that was absent on former models. The BMW adaptive full-LED headlights with LED daytime running lights (DRL) have been enhanced with roundabout lights and the high beam is now able to illuminate the path ahead up to 500 meters.
The roof’s low and sleek profile provides a coupe-like look to the car’s silhouette which will definitely be of interest to the younger car buyer. The crease below the side windows, now curve upwards which BMW claims, lends a more dynamic appearance to the the car’s look.
Following with the philosophy of form following function, there are a number of bits on the car that serve both an aesthetic and functional purpose. The air vent control in the kidney grille, air inlets and air curtains in the front apron and air breathers in the front wings have been optimized to create better airflow. As such, BMW boasts that the new 5-series offers the best drag coefficient of any sedan at a cd of 0.22.
Featuring a newly designed chassis, BMW used an increased amount of aluminium and high-strength steels in the car’s construction. And as such, the new car is about 100kg leighter than its predecessor. These weight saving measures have attributed the car with a very low centre of gravity, which should improve stability while meandering through sharp bends. Standing as it is, the 5-Series measures 4,936mm long, 1,868mm wide and 1,479mm high.
Equipped with the M-Sport package, the 530i M Sport comes with 19-inch double spoke M Light-alloy wheels wrapped in mixed sized tyres, M Sport brake with blue painted calipers adorned with the ‘M’ moniker as well as M aerodynamic components in the respective body colour, front and rear aprons, and sill overs at the sides. BMW has also equipped the car with electrically adjustable sports seats for both driver (Memory Function)and front passenger, illuminated M door sill finishers, new M specific pedals and M leather steering wheel.
Under the hood is a 2.0-litre engine that features TwinPower Turbo technology, Twin Scroll turbochargers, High Precision Direct Injection, VALVETRONIC fully variable valve control and Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing – it’s a real mouthful but is also a testament to the meticulous engineering effort that goes into new BMW engines.
This engine is mated to an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission and when in 530i M Sport guise, the 5-Series engine develops 252bhp and 350Nm of torque. Due to that, the 0-100km/h sprint can be dispensed with in 6.2 seconds and enables the car to reach a top speed of 250km/h.
In addition to the three driving modes – Comfort, Sport and Eco Pro, the new 5-Series features an additional mode called Adaptive. When enabled, the Dynamic Damper Control (DDC), steering responsiveness, GPS and Steptronic systems adapt to the driver’s driving style and the route ahead.
Like all BMWs, the main party-piece is the iDrive system and with the new car, it features the latest generation system which offers navigation and entertainment features. the 10.25-inch touchscreen can be accessed with the iDrive controller, voice command, gestures or by touching the display. For comfort, there is a 4-zone climate control air-con system as well as sun protecting glazing for the glass.
This time around, BMW has dumped a myriad of tech into the new 5-Series. it now comes with Active Cruise Control with Stop&Go function, which accelerates, brakes and maintains the required speed (functional up to 210km/h) as and when necessary, depending on traffic conditions. The new car is also able to detect speed limits and adjusts speeds accordingly.
As for safety, the car has Lane Departure Warning and Lane Change Warning systems that alert the driver when he veers into another lane. Approach Control Warning & Person Warning works with the City Brake function which will adjust speeds or applies the brakes when the system detects a person (for speeds up to 60km/h) and vehicles (for up to 80km/h) in the way.
Crossing-Traffic Warning Rear, is a system that warns drivers when reversing from tight spaces. Working with the rear camera, the system is able to offer an improved view for the driver and warn him when there is a potential threat of a collision. Through The Connected Mobility assistant, the car helps drivers plan their journeys depending on the their schedule.
Even the key of the new 5-Series isn’t devoid of tech. It features an LCD display and touch control panel that displays various information of the vehicle’s status and allows the available functions to be controlled from it.
The new BMW 530i M Sport can be ordered in a number of colours which are Black Sapphire, Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect, Alpine White and Mediterranean Blue. Inside, the interior upholstery leather is of Dakota Black with contrast blue stitching or Dakota Cognac with contrast stitching. However, this isn’t available for the Mediterranean Blue body colour.
Retailing for RM398,800.00, the new car comes with a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty, free schedule service program and BMW Tyre Warranty programme.
