BMW 5 Series electrified
Large luxury sedan line-up refreshed with design tweaks and new electrified powertrainsThe covers have come off the upgraded 2021 BMW 5 Series line-up ahead of its arrival in Australian showrooms from October.
As previewed by recently leaked images, the Bavarian car-maker’s enduring large sedan will get an ever-so-light visual update for 2021, but will bear some more significant changes underneath its skin.
The facelifted BMW 5 Series adopts some of the visual cues already adorning the smaller 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.
A similar theme transcends the interior, with BMW’s latest iDrive 7 infotainment system bringing a 12.3-inch central screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
In Australia, BMW is set to offer three variants of the 5 Series – the entry-level 520i, the 530e plug-in hybrid and the V8-powered M550i xDrive flagship.
BMW’s local arm has decided against importing the new 540i with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.
The 530e plug-in hybrid now offers 215kW and 420Nm from a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine and electric drive unit – a 29kW jump.
The flagship M550i xDrive maintains it chest-thumping 390kW and 720Nm outputs, translating to an identical 3.6-second 0-100km/h time. Of most note, the sporty model gets scores faster shift times within its sports transmission.
The BMW 5 Series update will no doubt help it to renew the fight against the new Audi A6 and facelifted Mercedes-Benz E-Class also due here later this year.
Australian pricing for the updated 5 Series range will be revealed closer to its local launch in October.
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