BMW expands 5 Series GT range
2.0-litre diesel joins upgraded Gran Turismo model range for under $90kBMW Australia has announced a raft of new model year changes for the 5 Series Gran Turismo, but the big news is the addition of a four-cylinder diesel variant.
Priced at $89,900, the 520d GT is the new entry-level model for the range, which has been on sale in Australia since early 2010. Among the other changes to the 5 Series GT are improved efficiency, an enhanced features list, new options and a power hike for the 530d GT.
“The 5 Series Gran Turismo exists in a class of its own and offers the distinguished premium customer a real alternative to the conventional sedans and SUVs on our roads,” said BMW Group Australia Managing Director, Phil Horton, as quoted in a press release.
“This is a car that combines the luxury and ambience of our flagship 7 Series with the versatility and increased ride height of an SUV all the while maintaining the dynamics of a sporty sedan,” he said.
The four-cylinder turbodiesel is the same engine already available in a host of other BMW models, producing 135kW/380Nm in the 520d GT application. Acceleration to 100km/h takes 8.9 seconds and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, based on the NEDC combined-cycle test, are 5.3L/100km and 139g/km respectively.
BMW has also tweaked the straight six diesel in the 530d to deliver 190kW/560Nm. But the gain in output has not come at the expense of fuel use or emissions. In fact, fuel consumption has actually dropped to 5.8L/100km and the CO2 emissions are similarly lower too, now 153g/km.
Introducing electronic power steering and an auto-start/stop facility has also resulted in lower fuel consumption and emissions for the petrol 535i GT. Fuel use is now 8.2L/100km and CO2 emissions is rated at the new figure of 192g/km. Through the addition of the three-mode Driving Experience Control across the 5 Series GT range, drivers can now opt for the ECO PRO setting to help achieve better fuel consumption — as much as 20 per cent lower, according to BMW's figures.
Another new feature offered as standard across the revised range is the Active Protection Safety Package, which tightens seatbelts as soon as the car reaches at speed of 18km/h. Once the system predicts a collision, through the office of a forward-looking camera and radar system, or by indications from emergency braking or sudden tyre slip, it automatically reduces the vehicle's speed and maintains full stopping power after the actual collision until 1.5 seconds after the vehicle has come to rest.
New options for the 5 Series GT include: Parking Assistant and a Bang & Olufsen Surround Sound audio system. The former will park the car without the driver's input beyond power and braking. For the first time, the M Sport Package is available for the 5 Series GT and bundles together sport suspension, sports seats, M aerodynamics package, 20-inch double-spoke alloy wheels, exclusive headlining with shadow line high-gloss trim and an M Sports steering wheel with shift paddles.
Prices for the range, with effect from July production, are as follows:
BMW 520d GT $89,900
BMW 530d GT $103,500
BMW 535i GT $109,400
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