MORE POWER LESS FUEL

The dynamically redesigned BMW 5-Series are light weight and powerful. Paddy Comyn test drives the new BMW 535d M-Sport

At this stage, it is very likely that you know someone who owns a BMW 5-Series. It might be your boss, your colleague or your accountant. They really are everywhere and BMW have been enjoying a bumper year for the model. The car has matured and the looks, which were once thought as a little controversial when they first appeared, are now a familiar sight on Irish roads.

Mid Life Revamp

As is so often the norm, cars like this get facelifts mid life cycle to keep them fresh and this is exactly what we have here. At the front, the headlamps and indicator units use clear glass technology while the kidney grille now sits flush with the bumper. The air duct in the front valance has been redesigned, while at the side the sill has an additional contour line. At the rear, the indicators, and brake lights now use horizontal LED light bars to emphasise the width of the rear.

Inside the door panels have been redesigned, with the window switches now integrated into the armrests. There are also now eight programmable buttons on the dashboard that allows you to set different ‘favourite’ functions, be they call home, change to your favourite radio station or turn the heating up full blast. This makes it easier to get to what you want quickly rather than moving through the sometimes-cumbersome i-Drive menus.

Energy Regeneration

As part of BMW’s new Efficient Dynamics Programme, there have been changes made to the range to improve things like weight, dynamics and consumption. The intention being to develop more power from less fuel in a lower-weight car. The 5- Series range now features Brake Energy Regeneration which uses energy from braking to charge the car’s battery and thanks to a new high-precision fuel injection system the cars are now more powerful and use less fuel. Across the range this equates to power increases of up to 20bhp and 20Nm as well as improvements in fuel economy by up to 25%.

Other changes include a new six-speed automatic gearbox, which comes as standard on the 535d but is a €3,030 option on the other models in the range. It features a new, more ergonomic gear selector. Using upgraded hydraulics and a clever torque converter and more powerful software, the new automatic responds 40% faster than before, with shift times halved.

Cruise Control

Our test car was also adorned with some of the new options available for the car, should you have some money you need to get rid of. Alongside options such as Head-Up Display and Night Vision (€1,875 and €2,810) which are now available there is Lane Departure Warning System (€725 but standard on 535d and 550i models), that is a camera mounted next to the interior mirror which monitors the white lines on the road ahead and, if the car crosses the line without obvious intent or without the indicator being used, the driver is notified by a vibration through the steering wheel. Another new feature is Active Cruise Control with Stop and Go (€2,165). This is a very clever feature and perfect for those that spend their time sitting in monotonous traffic. This cruise control will keep a fixed distance from the car in front, even at low speeds and will bring the car to a complete stop in traffic. If the period of standstill is less than three seconds, the car will resume its programmed speed. This is a little weird to get used to but it works incredibly well. The only problem is that you get quite used to this system and when you jump into another car you get quite a fright!

Turbo Charged

The majority of sales come from the basic, 2.0- litre diesel with 163bhp, but we were driving their flagship diesel model. The 535d, does not as it suggest have a 3.5-litre engine but instead has a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel with twin turbochargers and this equates to a gargantuan 286bhp and 580Nm of torque that get the car to 100km/h in just 6.4 seconds and on to a limited 250km/h. Yet it can still return 6.8 l/100km with the automatic transmission and a credible 182g/km of CO2, which is still less than the Lexus GS450h Hybrid. Most people will probably overlook this top-ofthe- range diesel, since it is €25,700 more expensive than the 520d M-Sport and that is a bit price to pay for power that you probably won’t get to use on your average journey. But for the real BMW connoisseur, ignore the petrol engines- this with its amazing power, yet realistic fuel economy is the best 5-Series BMW sell.

Published in the July/August 2007 Issue of Irish Entrepreneur