With the M5 Touring debuting this month, the plug-in hybrid BMW 5 Series wagon lineup will gain a third member. It’ll arguably be the most exciting of the lot, but also the most expensive. If you want to keep things simple and relatively affordable, the 530e is the way to go. This G61 is the lesser variant but it’s by no means a standard configuration.
Fitted with the optional M Sport Package, this electrified Touring rides on the optional 20-inch wheels (Style 939 M) with a two-tone look. The luxury wagon wears a Mineral White metallic paint and makes the most of its long roof thanks to the panoramic glass. Inside, the seats come wrapped in perforated Veganza, a marketing jargon for vegan leather. Those fancy crystal glass applications for the iDrive controller, gear selector, and the volume knob will set you back extra.
While the M5 will have a big ol’ V8 and the 550e gets an inline-six, the 530e makes do with a four-cylinder engine. Of the three plug-in hybrid 5 Series Touring versions, the base model is the only one to come with rear-wheel drive. That’s the case with this car, but BMW also sells the 530e with xDrive for all-weather capabilities.
Even though it does away with AWD, the 530e Touring still crosses the two-ton mark. It weighs 2,065 kilograms (4,552 pounds), but despite having a small four-cylinder engine, it’s not slow. It’ll still do 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.4 seconds and top out at 135 mph (218 km/h). When driven in electric mode, BMW limits the maximum speed to 87 mph (140 km/h).
Its turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine works with an electric motor to deliver a combined output of 295 hp and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque. The big wagon’s lithium-ion battery pack has a net energy content of 19.4 kWh, good for 55 miles (89 kilometers) of electric range in the WLTP cycle.
The 530e Touring is one of the most versatile BMW products for the budget-minded customer since it ticks many boxes without wrecking your bank account.
Source: BMW
