BMW has now added plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants to the all-new BMW 5 Series, namely the BMW 530e and the BMW 550e xDrive. The PHEV variants join the battery electric vehicle (BEV) and mild hybrid (MHEV) options. In Germany, the 530e is listed at 65,300 Euros (approx. RM324,489) while the 550e xDrive is listed at 77,300 Euros (approx. RM384,238).
PHEV options are not new to the BMW 5 Series. With the all-new 5 Series, BMW has introduced the latest BMW eDrive powertrain system which integrates the electric motor into the 8-speed transmission. This enables the transmission to multiply the torque to 450 Nm from the nominal 280 Nm of the standalone electric motor.
Other noteworthy powertrain specification is the battery capacity and charging speed. Both the 530e and 550e xDrive house a 19.4kWh battery pack which provides up to 103 km of range for the 530e and up to 90 km of range for the 550e xDrive. Charging speed is now rated at 7.4 kW, which is double what it used to be. This enables a charging time (0-100%) of 3 hours and 15 minutes.
In terms of practicality, the 530e now has the same boot capacity as its internal combustion engine at 520 litres. It is a big jump from the previous generation’s 530 e which had a boot space of 410 litres. The 550e xDrive also has the same 520-litre boot capacity.
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A brief specification overview of the all-new BMW 530e is as such:
- Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with TwinPower Turbo
- System Max. Power Output: 299 hp
- System Max. Torque: 450 Nm
- 0-100km/h acceleration time: 6.3 seconds
- Top speed: 230 km/h
- Pure electric max. speed: 140 km/h
- Battery Capacity: 19.4 kWh
- Electric range 93-103 km (WLTP)
Up a tier from the 530e is the BMW 550e xDrive. A brief overview of is facts and figures are as such:
- 3.0-litre inline-6 petrol engine
- System Max. Power Output: 489 hp
- System Max. Torque: 700 Nm
- 0-100 km/h acceleration time: 4.3 seconds
- Top Speed: Electronically limited to 250 km/h
- Pure electric max. speed: 140 km/h
- PHEV Battery Capacity: 19.4 kWh
- Electric range: 83-90 km (WLTP)
- Adaptive Chassis Professional as standard (includes electronically controlled shock absorbers and lowered suspension as well as integral active steering)
Other equipment listed for the PHEV BMW 5 Series includes 19-inch alloy wheels and BMW Iconic Sounds Electric.
In Malaysia, registration of interest is already open for the BMW i5, which is a fully electric version of the all-new BMW 5 Series. Variants of the i5 confirmed for Malaysia are the i5 eDrive40 and the i5 M60 xDrive. Current BMW 5 Series offerings in Malaysia (outgoing generation) include the 530e PHEV and the 530i MHEV.
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