LOOK: BMW Series 5 cars launched in the Philippines
Image: Alfred Bayle
The BMW Series 5 was just launched last night for the Philippine market at the BGC Arts Center.
The Series 5 is being marketed towards what is called the “business athlete” and it certainly has that sporty appeal, evident in its design.
A very imposing front. Image: Alfred Bayle
Beautiful 20-inch wheels come with the 530d Luxury. Image: Alfred Bayle
This midsize sport sedan runs on a BWM TwinPower Turbo diesel engine that was designed to be fuel efficient despite running purely on fossil fuel diesel. Biodiesel is not an option for this engine. The engine is then mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission. A Steptronic function is included to make gear shifting smoother.
The hood is insulated from the heat produced by the engine. Image: Alfred Bayle
The Series 5 is also 100 kilograms lighter than its predecessor, which should help with its fuel efficiency. The less car mass there is to move, the easier the engine should work.
The top of the line 530d Luxury, which is one of three variants that have been made available to Philippine customers, carries all the bells and whistles that the new Series 5 has to offer.
For starters, it has a cool little remote that looks like a small smartphone. It has touchscreen display that allows users to lock, turn on, and even remotely park the Series 5.
Park the car, turn it on, secure it, and even check your available gas from this little cellphone-like remote. It’s also USB rechargeable. Image: Alfred Bayle
Hopping into the driver’s seat, you’ll be greeted with a high-tech looking dashboard and instruments panel. The steering wheel has multiple buttons for controlling some of the car’s functions at thumb’s reach. This is similar to what you’ll see on an F1 car’s steering wheel.
Image: Alfred Bayle
The instrument panel just looks very high-tech and luxurious at the same time. Image: Alfred Bayle
Off the side of the steering wheel is a console with a 10.25-inch LED touch display. This screen is also capable of detecting gesture commands. The gestures allow drivers to answer or reject calls and manage volume levels. This same screen also displays proximity sensors when driving, so that you don’t have to keep guessing how far you are from the parking hump or a wall.
Image: Alfred Bayle
Image: Alfred Bayle
The Series 5 also comes with a semi-automated driving system called the BWM iDrive.
The shift stick feels and looks like something you’ll find in a spaceship. Image: Alfred Bayle
A mood light runs along the interior of the car. It has 11 color settings and can be changed via the console’s LED display. Image: Alfred Bayle
The variants now available to the local market are the 520d Luxury (P4.590 million), 520d M Sport (P4.990 million), and 530d Luxury (P6.390 million). Both 520d variants will run on a 2-liter BWM TwinPower Turbo diesel engine while the top-tier 530d will get a 3-liter engine.
These variants will also be fully customizable to fit the customers’ needs and preferences. JB
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