We usually associate stretched BMWs with China because that’s where the LWB models are mostly built. However, the G68 is no longer exclusively manufactured in the People’s Republic. Going forward, it’s also assembled in Chennai as the 530Li. The elongated sports sedan is offered in M Sport guise with the following colors: Sparkling Copper Grey, Phytonic Blue, M Carbon Black, and Mineral White.
For the interior, BMW India sells the 5 Series Li with two-tone vegan upholstery: Copper Brown/Atlas Grey and Maritime/Black. Echoing its Chinese sibling, the stately sedan carries around a massive wheelbase of 3105 mm (122.2 in). It’s 5165 mm (203.3 in) long and 2156 mm (84.8 in) wide, prompting the Bavarian premium brand to say this is the largest car in its segment.
While the Chinese version gets the 31.3-inch Theatre Screen from the flagship 7 Series, that’s not the case with the stretched 5er for India. However, the car does come generously equipped with a panoramic glass roof and four-zone AC. You also get a Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system, an interior camera, and crystal glass elements.
Although BMW sells the regular G60 5 Series Sedan globally with gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the lineup is far simpler with India’s G68. The long-wheelbase luxury sedan is offered only with a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine. The mild-hybrid four-cylinder unit makes 258 horsepower and 400 Newton-meters (295 pound-feet) of torque. Output is channeled to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It enables a sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in six and a half seconds and a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).
BMW does sell the fully electric i5 in India but it’s imported rather than being built locally. In addition, the EV version is based on the standard-wheelbase configuration. The 530Li M Sport’s launch marks the first time the 5 Series is sold in India with a stretched wheelbase.
The 5 Series Li can already be ordered and costs INR 7,290,000 or about $87,000 at current exchange rates. Deliveries to customers start in September. The old 6 Series Gran Turismo G32 is still built at the Chennai factory and costs roughly the same.
Source: BMW
