Big price hikes for facelifted BMW 5 Series

BMW Australia has announced local pricing and specifications for the facelifted BMW 5 Series leaked in April and officially revealed in May.

The good news is all versions of the seventh-generation BMW 5 Series gain fresh exterior design cues, improved in-car technology and more standard equipment; the bad news is there are price increases across the range and the sole wagon version – the BMW 530i Touring – has been discontinued in Australia.

Pricing for the six-variant 2021 BMW 5 Series line-up now starts at $95,900 (plus on-road costs) for the entry-level BMW 520i, which $5000 more than before.

For context, the new Audi A6 is priced from $85,500, while the Mercedes-Benz E-Class range currently opens at $95,900 (pricing for the facelifted model due here in November is yet to be announced).

Moving up the revised BMW 5 Series family, the 530i now costs $115,900 plus ORCs (up $3000), the biggest price hike is reserved for the 530e PHEV at $118,900 (+$6000) and the 530d diesel now costs $125,900 (+$2600).

A pair of M550i xDrive all-wheel drive models tops the MY21 range – for now – and both of them are $3000 pricier than before, at $137,900 for the Pure and $152,900 for the top-shelf M550i.

Local pricing for the upgraded BMW M5 – let alone the rumoured 478kW BMW M5 CS – is yet to be announced, but it will join the facelifted line-up here from October. The existing BMW M5 Competition costs $234,900 plus ORCs.

Once again the mainstream BMW 5 Series sedan range comprises the 520i, 530i, 530d, 530e PHEV, M550i xDrive and M550i xDrive Pure. BMW’s local arm has decided against importing the new 540i with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

As we’ve reported, all model variants score an updated exterior with design elements from the newer 3 Series such as sleeker full-LED headlights, a slightly larger kidney grille, revised front fascia and reworked tail-lights with a new L-shaped signature.

Inside, BMW’s latest iDrive 7 infotainment system is displayed via a larger 12.3-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and now Android Auto connectivity, plus BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant.

All Australian-spec BMW 5 Series models will now come standard with the M Sport design package.

In the case of the base BMW 520i, this includes 19-inch light alloy wheels, M Sport suspension, BMW Individual High Gloss Shadow Line, Sport seats, BMW Individual roofliner in Anthracite, M Aerodynamics Package, M leather steering wheel, M door sills, M front quarter badging and trapezoidal chromed exhaust outlets.

Other standard additions for the 2021 BMW 520i include Adaptive LED headlights, High Beam Assist, Driving Assistant Professional and Reversing Assistant as part of Parking Assistant Plus.

In addition, the 2021 BMW 530i and 530d gain M Sport brakes (which are optional for the 520i), plus a Sports automatic transmission, automatic tailgate, heated front seats, Adaptive suspension and 16-speaker harman/kardon surround sound system.

Updated powertrains now feature High Precision Injection (350 bar of pressure versus 200) for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol units in the 520i and 530i, and two-stage turbocharging for the 530d six-cylinder turbo-diesel, both of which are claimed to bring better efficiency and response.

The BMW 520i outputs 135kW/290Nm and can hit 100km/h in a claimed 7.8sec with its standard eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, while the higher 185kW/350Nm outputs of the 530i deliver a quicker 6.1sec claimed 0-100km/h time.

The BMW 530d comes with the same standard equipment as the 530i, but delivers a punchier 195kW of power and 620Nm of torque, helping it hit 100km/h in a claimed 5.7sec.

The similarly-specced BMW 530e PHEV (plug-in hybrid), meantime, gets a 135kW/300Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine matched with an 80kW/265Nm electric motor that, together, produce 215kW/420Nm – up 30kW thanks to a new XtraBoost function that’s available for 10 seconds in Sport mode.

The 2021 BMW 530e is claimed to hit 100km/h in 5.9sec on its way to a 250km/h top speed, has an electric-only range of 67km and comes with a lithium-ion battery with Type 2 charging port for ‘fueling up’ via either a domestic wall socket, optional BMW i Wallbox or public charging station with Type 2 infrastructure.

Finally, both flagship M550i xDrive variants maintain the big 390kW/720Nm outputs from their twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 and still hit 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, but score faster shift times from their automatic transmission.

Standard features for the M550i Pure include rear-biased all-wheel drive, 20-inch alloy wheels, M Performance tuning, M Sport differential, Adaptive M Suspension Professional, automatic four-zone air-conditioning, M rear spoiler and a tyre repair kit.

For an extra $15,000, the full-house M550i adds Roll Stabilisation and Integral Active Steering, BMW Laserlight including BMW Selective Beam, a leather-clad instrument panel, soft-close doors, electric glass sunroof, metallic paint and Ambient Air.

M Sport Brakes with high-gloss red callipers are an extra-cost option for the BMW 520i and a no-cost option for 530i, 530d and 530e and both M550i xDrive models, while Laserlight headlights are now available for the 520i, 530i, 530d and 530e.

M Multifunctional Seats from the BMW M5 Competition are now available for all models, as is the BMW Drive Recorder, which enables the surround view camera to create 40-seond video recordings of the vehicle’s surroundings.

520i standard equipment:

M Sport Package
19-inch alloy wheels
Adaptive LED headlights
High Beam Assist
Driving Assistant Professional
Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Ambient lighting
Comfort Access
Connected Package Professional
DAB Digital radio
Speed Limit Info
Electric seat adjustment
Head-Up Display
HiFi 12-speaker sound system
Sensatec instrument panel
Leather Dakota upholstery
Parking Assistant Plus
BMW Live Cockpit Professional
Wireless charging
Steptronic automatic transmission

530i and 530d add:

Automatic tailgate
Heated seats, front
Lumbar support, front
Adaptive suspension
16-speaker harman/kardon surround sound system
M Sport brakes
Sports Automatic Transmission

530e adds:

XtraBoost
eDrive Services
Convenience charging cable
Acoustic protection for pedestrians

M550i xDrive Pure adds:

xDrive all-wheel drive
20-inch alloy wheels
M Performance tuning
M Sport differential
Adaptive M Suspension Professional
Automatic four-zone air-conditioning
M rear spoiler
Tyre repair kit

M550i xDrive adds:

Roll stabilisation and Integral Active Steering
BMW Laserlight including BMW Selective Beam
Instrument panel finished in leather
Soft-close function for doors
Electric glass sunroof
Metallic paint
Ambient Air

How much does the 2021 BMW 5 Series cost?
520i – $95,900 (+$5000)
530i – $115,900 (+$3000)
530e – $118,900 (+$6000)
530d – $125,900 (+$2600)
M550i xDrive Pure – $137,900 (+3000)
M550i xDrive – $152,900 (+$3000)
* Prices exclude on-road costs