BMW 530i Touring Long-term Test
The 530i Touring was picked up from BMW's Mulgrave (Vic) headquarters and immediately put to work by CarPoint's Editor-in-Chief Mike SinclairWAGON WHEELS: AN INTRO TO SPACE, GRACE AND PACE
Consider for a moment the lot of the traditional wagon. If these four-wheelers had feelings they'd be inconsolable, such would be their sense of rejection since the arrival a few years back of the SUV Down Under... Indeed, those damn, long, leggy 4WDs have not only cut the trad-wagons' lunch, they have damn well run off with the hearts and minds of the hubby and kids to boot!
But is the pendulum swinging back in their favour?
With rising petrol prices and a growing disquiet regards the suitability of SUVs to the urban environment, the odd chink in the 4WD's armour (and sales domination) is starting to appear. The arrival (at last) of wagons with a dose of style and pizzazz means the travelling salesman label is now escapable...
Hell, yes, there's every chance of a swing back to the wagon on the horizon.
Marques like BMW and Audi hope so, for they've both launched new prestige wagons onto the local market. These vehicles are neither cheap nor thick on the ground, but they are here vying for well-heeled buyers' attention. And while we're not well-heeled, we are well connected, and as such CarPoint's managed to grab a BMW's E61 5 Series Touring. And we're going to be driving it for the next few months.
We were impressed with the car back at its launch in June. After spending close to four weeks driving a diesel-engined LHD model driving around Italy we were enamoured with the car's space and grace. How will it work away from the lightly policed autostrade and put to the task of living with family and friends in urban Melbourne? We're about to find out...
BMW imports just one model of the 5 Series Touring Down Under. Dubbed the 530i, it's powered by the marque's new N52 lightweight 190kW 3.0lt inline six. The new 3.0lt petrol engine is lighter, more powerful (20kW) and more fuel efficient than the much admired six it replaced. BMW claims the mag-alloy crankcase of the new engine delivers a weight saving of 24 per cent over a conventional alloy unit. Weighing in at 161kg, the new 3.0-litre straight-six engine is 10kg (7 per cent) lighter than its predecessor.
The Touring itself is just 90kg heavier than its sedan equivalent. Only 2mm longer than the sedan, it's just as refined as the four-door and at least as well equipped. Indeed, it comes equipped with a swag of standard equipment. Active Steering, Dynamic Stability Control and Dynamic Traction Control, Anti-lock Braking System, Dynamic Brake Control, eight airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners, Brake Force Display and Tyre Puncture Warning System are all standard.
There's an electrically-operated two-piece rear hatch (remote open and close) and all the sort of ancillary equipment you'd expect from a $100K-plus vehicle: full leather, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, power everything, six-CD in-dash changer, climate control, and more.
Our Orient Blue long termer has arrived with even more goodies than the standard car including (but not limited to):
- Head-Up Display ($2600),
- Active Cruise Control ($4500),
- Biege Nasca leather Front Comfort seats with heating and ventilation ($5850),
- Professional navigation complete with television and voice recognition ($4000),
- Bi-Xenon Adaptive headlights with washers ($2970)
- Bluetooth phone prep ($1500).
Added to the $114,800 RRP of the standard 530i Touring that takes our total 'plus ORC' price to $147,775.
And BMW's really given it to us to use as we like?
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