BMW 530e iperformance Sport Steptronic

The 5 Series becomes the next in line to get BMW’S iperformance hybrid drivetrain

WITH growing pressure to lower emissions and gain government incentives for electrically supplemented and full EV vehicles (mainly in Europe and the US), there is no doubt that hybrids will be prevalent for the foreseeable future. And the newest member of BMW’S recently launched iperformance hybrid range is this BMW 530e.

Like the 330e (tested on page 74), this Five has a 135 kw/ 320 N.m turbocharged 2,0-litre engine mated with an electric motor that produces 83 kw and 250 N.m (with both units directing the power to the rear wheels). When these driving forces combine, the end result is total peak outputs of 185 kw and 420 N.m of torque.

Apart from a few iperformance trim bits, the 530e looks like a regular 5 Series. It’s the same story inside where, despite bearing an iperformance badge, and unlike the futuristic styling seen in the i3 and i8, the cabin remains suitably conservative.

“Conservative”, however, is not a word you would use to describe the 530e’s performance. While it comfortably hums along in full electric Auto edrive mode to a maximum of 90 km/h, its behaviour does depend on your use of the throttle. Dip your foot past the threshold and the turbocharged engine kicks in to pick up the slack. And here the 530e iperformance displays a relatively seamless distribution of power between the electric and petrol units.

Across the three driving modes, eco pro is best suited to low-speed environments; comfort is the middle ground; while sport mode provides the driver with a somewhat more entertaining experience. The latter wasn’t a mode I chose to drive in much on this launch; given the 530e iperformance’s fuel-efficiency characteristics, it seemed out of character, plus the hybrid’s added mass doesn’t help its cause here.

While the 530e iperformance may work well in Europe and the US, where its Ev-only mode allows it to dodge the costly emissions tax demanded in many cities, as we have mentioned when driving and testing other plug-in hybrid cars, they do lose some of their reason for existence in our market. In South Africa, they remain niche models.

Still, if you have your heart set on the 530e iperformance, it will be on sale in SA in the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest, and will join the 330e, 740e, X5 xdrive40e and i8 as plug-in hybrids by BMW SA.