BMW 530e xDrive Touring, taking it to its homeland
The BMW 5 Series is a familiar face on the roads everywhere in the world! The first-ever 5 Series (E12) was introduced a whole while ago, the year was 1972. Since then, the car became more and more popular which resulted in the seventh generation 5! The 7th generation introduced the 530e sedan (G30), but for this Touring-model (G31) we had to wait for the facelift. Dads, now is the moment to enjoy the 530e Touring!
292 hp or wait … only 184 horses?
The BMW 530e is in the middle of the plug-in hybrid power range currently on offer. Ward has tested the BMW 545e (go check it out here) which was the top-dog in the hybrid setup, while the entry-level gets a 520e on the back. This 530e gets a “great sounding” 292 combined horsepower. But combined is a pretty important word in that sentence. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder produces 184 hp and 300 Nm of torque while the electromotor puts in a 109 hp and 265 Nm boost. Together giving you a kick of 292 hp and 420 Nm of torque. With a full battery, the “more than 2-ton weighing” 5 Series with four-wheel drive will hit 100 km/h in 6,1 seconds and -also with an empty battery- the top speed is set on a speed of 225 km/h. If you would go “full eco-warrior” that top speed is just 140 km/h. No sporty numbers, but the 530e isn’t developed as a sporty car. With that weight and the four-wheel drive, you will always have grip in this luxury cruise mobile. Just like BMW has intended.
292 or 184, that’s a big difference and that’s why I have mixed feelings about this one. In the first part of our test, the car performed great! In Belgium, we are forced to change to an electric or hybrid car and the charging stations are popping up like mushrooms. So having a place to charge the car wasn't a problem and you could enjoy a full battery most of the time. That‘s where the car shines the most. It combines the electric en petrol engine without any hesitation and is perfect in its transition between those two. The car feels faster and more crispy than the 6,1 seconds would suggest! So until now, great car!
In the second part of the week, we took the BMW to the Christmas markets in Germany, its homeland. Driving the first 300 kilometers of that trip and for the first time the car lost all of its battery and the painful part appeared. After 45 kilometers -BMW is talking about around 60 km- all the electric juice was gone and the engine was always running. The average consumption made a jump to 8-9 liters per 100 kilometers -the tank capacity is just 46 liters- and the power dropped back to 184 hp. 184 horsepower for a 2-ton car ain’t mutch and overtaking cars became a hazard. Arriving in a beautiful town along the Moselle and the search for a charging station was started. For a big town, they offered as few as 4 charging points and those were always occupied. So you can see, the second part of the week wasn’t as smooth as the first one.
Combining these two experiences and I would still recommend the 530e Touring xDrive! The average consumption was 7,5l/100km and 2,5 kWh/100km. These numbers were hit even with the charging problem in Germany. And I think I could get even lower if I didn’t use the driving charge button because the Bimmer gets really thirsty in that mode!
Fresh looks
And we like those looks. The looks haven’t changed that much over the facelift but those details make the car pop. The greatest change is those Laser-headlights! Those are so extremely sexy and lean! Surely those day running lights!
In the side-profile, the car looks as clean as its pre-facelift brother or sister. Nothing to fancy or to “hey, look at me” just like it should be in this segment. At the back, the lights got the biggest changes. Oh, and those exhaust tips have changed. Again, nothing too dramatic and why should they change a good thing?
Classic BMW
Getting into the car and you can almost smell the quality! The high degree of finish in combination with a “not-too-exaggerated” digital stuff. Yes, the rivals are showing up with a more customizable dashboard. But, if you ask me -and you are because you’re reading this- too much is too much. The dashboard of the 5-Serie is clean and easy to use. Just like its infotainment system including the navigation and all of the safety tech (adaptive cruise control with lane assist, reversing assistant, emergency stop, …).
So all good in the BMW 530e Touring? Sadly not. Maybe I'm getting a little bit old, but I wasn’t able to get the seats just right. The next thing wasn’t the fault of my back! Thanks to the extra battery (it’s a hybrid, guys!) the trunk has been lifted and you lose important space if you’ve got a 15-month-old son. An impressive difference of 130 liters versus the 530i Touring. But to end on a positive note: I adore the back window that can be opened independently of the boot lid. Something BMW has been doing for a while now.
Conclusion
If you put the BMW up against its main reveals (the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class) it will take home the trophy of “most sporty feeling” without the car being too hard. That’s something I’m looking for in a family car. The family car doesn’t need to be boring. The 530e xDrive Touring will set you back 68.400,01€ (BE). But then it begins! A nice color, great looking rims, M-package, leather, comfort access, … Shooting past 80.000€? Easy!
