A punchy little thing
A plug-in 5 Series? Now that’s ticking a lot of boxes, writes Nile Bijoux.
The BMW 5 Series has been well and truly refreshed now with the 530e plug-in hybrid representing the eco-friendly side of things. But does this one go too far into the electrical green zone or does the plug-in 5 Series still offer a few driving thrills?
On the outside
You really wouldn’t know this is a plug-in from the outside, badging aside. The 2021 530e gets the same design updates as the rest of the 5 Series – different headlights and tail lights, new wheels, some extra black trim and a very slightly larger kidney grille.
As standard, BMW New Zealand applies the M Sport package which adds larger 19-inch wheels, M Sport suspension and M Sport brakes, among a handful of aesthetic changes.
To summarise: the 5 Series is still a smart looker and the 530e is no different. If you want a plug-in hybrid without anyone knowing it’s a plug-in hybrid, this should already be on your list.
On the inside
It’s a similar story inside. There’s a larger 12.3-inch infotainment display with an upgraded iDrive system that has over-the-air update capability, BMW Drive Recorder, BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant and Android Auto compatibility as well as Apple CarPlay. Both phone interfaces are wireless.
The 530e gets a couple of special buttons, like one that says Electric. It’s not hard to figure out what this does – forces the powertrain to only use the electric motor until the battery is flat, when the car defaults to Hybrid mode.
Under the bonnet
The powertrain is the biggest selling point here. It uses the same 2.0-litre as the 520i, albeit in a higher state of tune, paired with an electric motor with a 12kWh battery.
The added electricals offer an extra 30kW under ‘‘XtraBoost’’ (another standard feature that apparently you had to option on before this facelift) which results in 215kW and 420Nm. BMW says the plug-in will crack 100kmh in 5.9 seconds, but BMW can be conservative with its performance claims.
Range on EV power is around 60km, occasionally notching higher. This is pretty standard for PHEVs at the moment, although some smaller ones like Mercedes-Benz’s A250e can show more than 70km of range. Apples to oranges here, though.
It might not sound like much but it really is – if you zero your odometer and drive around as normal, chances are you’ll be home for the evening before it clicks over 60. That’s the point – PHEVs let electricity take care of the day-to-day running but still have a tank of petrol and a frugal engine to take over if need be.
On the road
We already know the 5 Series is a capable car in the city and on the back roads. You can largely consider the 530e a heavier 520i (1610kg versus 1835kg) but with a lot more torque in particular. Dabbing the Sports button sets the powertrain in full attack mode and engages that XtraBoost function, which turns the 530e into quite a punchy little thing.
The suspension is tuned towards comfort over cornering which means it can be a bit wallowy through tighter bends.
There’s also a larger chance of understeer as a result of the extra weight, but you have to be pushing the front end beyond its realistic capabilities to get into real trouble. The standard M-spec suspension and brakes help in this regard.
Really, you’re buying this for the electrics. It’s lovely to commute in and easy to use for running errands. Plus, while charging an EV at home is still cheaper than brimming a tank of petrol, you’ll be paying cents to keep the 530e topped up due to its smaller battery than a fully electric rival.
Verdict
BMW’s ‘‘30e’’ plug-in powertrain is very good. It offers plenty of range for daily driving, a nice dollop of extra power when you need it and a reliable petrol engine for those longer journeys. That’s the only real selling point of the 530e though. If you don’t like the 5 Series, well, I don’t know why you read this far because nothing else will be able to convince you otherwise.
But if you’re on the fence, let me offer some alternatives. Audi doesn’t yet have a plug-in midsize sedan, but Mercedes-Benz does offer the $146k E 300 e, which offers very similar output and range figures as the BMW. It could be argued the Merc has better driver assistance technology, but it’s really splitting hairs.
Anti-EV folks will hate that I’m bringing this up again but if you’re looking at an eco-friendly sedan, you can buy the full-fat Tesla Model 3 Performance with all the options boxes ticked for $122k, less than both of the German plug-ins.