Secret Agent 530i Looks the Business. Goes it Too
We Test the BMW With All the Kudos, But None of that Baggage
The latest BMW 530i may look more of the same old same old. In fact, many may not even differentiate it. Even though this sharper, more angular and crisper car is indeed a surprising step up. Once you look closely, that is.
Five benefited a lockdown makeover
The medium sedan from Munich of course benefited a lockdown makeover. It got a fresh look and a raft of tech updates across the board. It’s set apart by a fresh grimace courtesy of a sharper new BMW kidney grille. Add slimmer Adaptive LED matrix headlights with optional laser lights up front and 3D cluster taillights aft. You can finish your Five in a choice of fresh hues and new light-alloy wheel options too. From 18 to an innovative set of new 20-inchers.
There is course the Ferrari killer M5 Competition. But this model, while it still certainly looks the part, is aimed at the less flamboyant. Under the skin you’ll find the latest specification of BMW’s eternally evolved turbo petrol four-pot churning a handy 248 HP and a creamy 257 lb.-ft out through the rear axle. BMW says 530i will rush to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and top 130 mph.
That’s a lie. We managed closer to five and a half seconds in our road tests. To be precise, the BMW 530i is good for a quick 5.6 seconds to 60 mph and a most elastic 3.6 second 50 to 75 mph pull. In other words, 530i totally defies any thoughts of a puny engine in a lumbering car. BMW further claims it sips 33 highway miles per gallon. That one you can believe.
Lightweight advantage comes through on the road
The latest Five of course carries its lightweight advantages over. That comes through on the road. You feel the diet the moment you drive it – it’s deft, agile, and responsive. Easy on the wheel. As good as the best of the brilliant Three series on the road. And that applies as much to this two-liter turbo petrol as it does to the top of the range.
Inside, the latest Five still adheres to that original iDrive ethos, with the added convenience of voice and gesture controls all tucked into a complex, multifaceted cabin. Ours had the optional Star Wars 12.3-inch Control Display versus the standard 10.25-inch screen, automatic climate control. An all-new multifunction sports leather steering wheel does duty. With newly arranged multifunction buttons.
And Android Auto joins Apple CarPlay with enhanced Wi-fi connectivity and control and there’s Remote Software Upgrading too. Being a test unit, ours also packed optional Integral Active Steering among its raft of latest driver assistance. That now includes Lane Departure with lane return function. Add intelligent new cloud-based Active Navigation with 3D visualization. And the parking system now gets a reversing assistant.
All the kudos but not the baggage
So, this is a perfect solution if you want the kudos, but don’t want the baggage in a BMW. Most people will think is far more than it really is. Yet it delivers far more too. And then some. So much so that we’d say this little 530i with all the trimmings is certainly worth a look. – Michele Lupini
Images – Giordano Lupini
ROAD TESTED: BMW 530i M Sport Engine: 248 HP 257 lb.-ft 1998cc turbo petrol I4 Drive: 8-speed automatic RWD TESTED: 0-40 mph: 2.62 sec 0-60 mph: 5.66 sec 0-100 mph: 13.31 sec ¼-mile: 13.8 sec 102 mph 50-75 mph: 3.68 sec 75-100 mph: 5.65 sec CLAIMED: VMax: 130 mph Fuel City: 25 mpg Fuel Highway 33 mpg LIST PRICE: $54,200 RATED: 8