Three new variants of BMW 5 Series to launch in March 2017
BMW recently unveiled the new-generation 5 Series which will also make its way to India next year. We have already seen that the new 5 Series has a received a design makeover as well as more premium features from the flagship offering, the 7 Series. More importantly, BMW also announced three new variants on the 5 Series that will be introduced in March 2017.
530e iPerformance plug-in hybridBMW cars manufactured under the iPerformance brand come equipped with electric drive technology developed by the brand's "i" division. BMW states that the iPerformance plug-in hybrid cars use electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries. The current BMW iPerformance range includes the 2 Series Active Tourer, 3 Series, 7 Series and the X5. The plug-in hybrid option on the 5 Series was only available in China. However, the 2017 iteration will be available in more markets, says the company. The 530e iPerformance comes equipped with a 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor that produces a combined power output of 252PS and 420Nm. The claimed fuel efficiency for the system is 50kmpl and can also travel a distance of close to 45 km in pure electric mode. It can do 0 to 100kmph in 6.2 seconds, says BMW. we expect BMW to bring the 530e iPerformance plug-in hybrid to India sometime next year.
520d EfficientDynamics Edition
The BMW 520d EfficientDynamics Edition is powered by a 4-cylinder diesel motor that makes 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque. The motor comes mated to a 8-speed automatic transmission. BMW states that this version will the most efficient version of the 5 Series and will also have the lowest CO2 emissions compares to its competition models at 102g/km. BMW states that the fuel consumption for this offering is 25kmpl, whereas the 0 to 100kmph timing is 7.2 seconds.
M550i xDriveLastly, BMW will introduce the M550i which is believed to the fastest 5 Series to be ever built. Strapped under the hood is a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 motor that makes an impressive 462PS at 5,500rpm and generates 650Nm at 1,800rpm. This gasoline motor too is paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. It is interesting to know that the new-generation BMW 5 Series posts a quicker 0 to 100kmph acceleration timing at 4 seconds compared to the present-generation BMW M5. However, it should also be noted that with the all-wheel drive the 5 Series sedan manages to put down all that power on to the road in a better way. The new-generation M5 that is expected to debut next year might post an even more impressive naught to 100kmph acceleration timing in less than 4 seconds.