BMW 540i M Sport
BMW 540i M Sport
The rst BMW 5 Series rolled o the production line in 1972. And today, 45 years later, it has cemented itself as one of the leading executive sedans of the world. In 2017, BMW introduced its seventh generation 5 Series and it is more powerful, better to drive, and absolutely laden with tech.
Singapore’s 5 Series lineup consists of one diesel and two petrol options, and the one I got to drive was the rangetopping 540i M Sport. It is powered by BMW’s new turbocharged 3-liter inlinesix, which produces 340hp and 450nm of torque. Performance is suitably adequate for an executive sedan. 0-100km/h takes just 5.1 seconds and top speed is an electronically limited 250km/h.
And even though it is turbocharged, there is no perceptible turbo lag. Put your foot down and the 540i M Sport just goes. And if you don’t pay attention to the speedometer, you will be doing very illegal three digit speeds very quickly. Throughout my time with the car, I was never left wanting more power.
Ride comfort is very good too. The 540i M Sport soaks up bumps and undulations without a fuss. Tire and wind noise is well controlled; it isn’t dead silent, but you never have to raise your voice to have a conversation.
The 5 Series has often been praised for its handling and the new 540i M Sport handles quite brilliantly for a large-sized car. It is no supercar, but in Sports mode and with the steering rmed up, the 540i M Sport steers condently and accurately. There is a surprising amount of feel through the steering and chassis too, much more so than its rivals in this class.
So, the new 540i M Sport is powerful, fast, drives well, and is very comfortable. But what really makes it stand out amongst its peers is its vast amount of toys. There is too many to list so I’m just going to share some of my favorites. Let’s begin with the keys. The new 540i M Sport has BMW’s new display key, which looks more like a small tablet than a car key. It has an LCD display that tells you if the car is locked, the windows are closed, and how much range it has left. There’s also a preconditioning setting that lets you set a time so that the car turns it fans on to cool the car down before you set o . This is especially handy for our tropical climate.
However, the niftiest thing about the key is Remote Control Parking. Using the key, owners can start their cars and ease it in and out of parking lots. This is especially useful since the 5 Series is a big car and car park lots these days are a little cramp. You can only direct the car to move forwards or back, while sensors around the vehicle help prevent users from banging their precious (and expensive) car into things.
The cabin of the 5 Series looks familiar, but has many improved components. For starters, the infotainment display is larger and has a redesigned user interface that makes it easier to use. The screen is touchenabled and measures 10.25-inch wide and has a resolution of 1440 x 540 pixels. More importantly, it is super smooth and responsive and feels like you are operating a tablet.
Like all new BMWs, the 540i M Sport comes with BMW ConnectedDrive, which is a suite of services that includes real-time tra c information and concierge services. You can access the concierge services through the infotainment system and ask the concierge for directions and even ask for eating recommendations or help with restaurant and hotel bookings and reservations.
The particular car I drove was outtted with the optional Driving Assistant Plus package. It is a pricey add-on - $13,800 to be exact - but well worth it. It adds a boatload of additional safety features such as lane departure and lane change warning, city braking function, speed limit information, active cruise control, wrong-way warning, and much more.
What I found most useful about this package is that the heads-up display always shows the speed limit of the road you are on. And if you do exceed the speed limit, the speed reading on the heads-up display changes color to warn you.
Also handy is the active cruise control, which is a more advanced form of cruise control that automatically slows or speeds the car down depending on traffic conditions. Although not quite fully autonomous driving, this is still a very nice safety feature to have as it is akin to having an extra pair of eyes on the roads.
Of course, like so many devices today, the 540i M Sport can be paired with the BMW Connected app. The app shows you statistics and other information about the car such as its location, remaining driving range, and its next servicing interval. A cool feature of the app is Remote 3D View, which sends you a 3D photo of the car’s surroundings.
Overall, I found the BMW 540i M Sport to be a thoroughly enjoyable car to drive. Performance, comfort, and handling are exemplary, the infotainment system is easy to use, and the car has a truckload of nifty gizmos and features.