The mid-life facelift of the 2021 BMW 5 Series has been revealed online, with a suave new face, sharp detailing and a number of powertrain updates, too.
The BMW 5 Series has been one of the most desirable cars ever since it was introduced. Be it the styling, the straight-six engines, among others, or the sport-luxury balance, there has always been a 5 for everyone. The 2021 BMW 5 Series, the G30 LCI-generation model, takes things further with an evolved design and more updates under the skin.
The signature kidney-grille hasn’t grown to be as dominating as its elder siblings but, rather, embraces the sharp, overlapping design as on the 3 Series – which makes it look even sportier and fresh, if we do say so ourselves. The LED headlamp clusters look just as sharp and we may also see Laser Light highbeams on offers. The blacked-out tail-lamp clusters look equally refreshing and sporty and, together with that 530e badging, go to prove there’s always a way to improve efficiency yet retain or even enhance the fun factor.
Speaking of which, the 2021 BMW 5 Series gets an assortment of powertrains with electrification playing a big role. The range starts with an updated 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in the 520i making 184 hp and 290 Nm, with 48-volt mild-hybrid system and an integrated starter/generator (ISG) adding 8 kW (11 hp) when needed to boost performance. Oddly, the 530i still gets 252 hp and 350 Nm, unlike the 3 Series and 6 Series Gran Turismo that get 258 hp and 400 Nm, but gets the 48-volt mild-hybrid tech. Now on to the 3.0-litre six engines. First, the 540i which now gets 333 hp and 450 Nm, both in narrower bands, but is also a mild-hybrid. The top-of-the-line petrol model is the M550i xDrive, which, like the 8 Series, inherits the 4.4-litre twein-turbo V8 with 530 hp and 750 Nm.
Then there’s the new 530e, the plug-in hybrid launch model for the 2021 BMW 5 Series, with the 80-kW (109 hp and 265 Nm) e-motor integrated into the eight-speed Steptronic automatic transmission . It sees similar figures to the 330e plug-in hybrid with a peak 292 hp and 420 Nm. Overall fuel efficiency is 58.8 km/l. A larger 545e is also on the cards, and will be available come November 2020. It packs the six-cylinder powertrain from the magnificent 745Le we drove recently. That means a combined 394 hp and 600 Nm, with efficiencies upward of 40 km/l in the lighter 2021 BMW 5 Series.
The diesel range gets major updates and a power bump-up in the case of the 530d. The 2021 BMW 5 Series diesel range begins with a 48-volt mild-hybrid 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with 190 hp/400 Nm in the 520d guise. The new mild-hybrid 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine gets even more powerful with the 530d now packing 286 hp and 650 Nm (+21 hp and 30 Nm). An even more powerful 540d with all of 340 hp and 700 Nm is also present. No word on the M550d and its quad-turbo 400-hp/760-Nm engine; torque equalling what some V10 engines almost thrice the size managed not too long ago. A diesel plug-in hybrid has remained elusive now this time round for BMW too.
There will be a new M5, that we can be certain of. Well, after this lockdown, almost certain. Big changes are afoot.
The new 2021 BMW 5 Series offer a lot more in terms of connectivity and autonomous driving capability as well, including wireless charging, self-parking and the lot.
