THE BMW 530e iPerformance is the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version of the new G30 5 Series. And it has quite a few unique selling points.
It is a large luxury saloon that uses less fuel than a small city car (2.0-litre/100km) and has low CO2 emissions (44g/km) so it should appeal to those who are looking for a car with green credentials.
Plus it can go from 0-100km/h in just 6.2 seconds and hit 235km/h flat out, (the same as the 530i petrol model) so it should appeal to those who are looking for some performance too.
Apart from the badging and the charging point on the left-hand side of the car, the 530e looks almost identical to the regular models. It is a large handsome car if a little reserved looking especially in SE trim.
The interior is also the same as the regular model with swaths of butter-soft leather and other soft-touch materials. Everything is very well made and impressive. The piano black trim and ambient lighting lend an elegant and classy feel.
The digital instrument display is a little different though with readings specific to the battery, power, charge etc.
The seats up front and in the rear are very comfortable and accommodating and there is good space and storage all around. However, due to the batteries and positioning of the fuel tank, boot space is compromised with capacity down from the 530 litres of the regular model to 410 litres.
This is by no means small, and you can still extend the boot by tumbling the seats, but it is something to be aware of.
Powering the 530e is a 184hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and a 95hp electric motor. It is mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. Combined power output is 252hp and 420Nm of torque.
The 9.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack powers the electric motor and the electric motor can power the car by itself at speeds of up to 140km/h.
The batteries fully charge in around three hours using a 3.7kWh wall box, which BMW can supply. However, soon BMW will be introducing an inductive charging plate to charge up the 530e wirelessly. You just place this plate in your driveway and park the car on top and the batteries charge via an inductive magnetic field.
On a full charge, the electric motor can power the car for around 50km. Through making effective use of the regenerative braking system I managed to do 41km on electric power only.
If you do go a little heavy on the throttle the engine kicks but the transition is very smooth and you barely notice it.
You can select three different eDrive modes. Auto eDrive mode optimises the interaction of the two power units, Max eDrive is electric-only driving and Battery Management saves the battery power for later and can charge the batteries as you drive. This is great if you are driving on the motorway and know you will be heading into a city or heavy traffic later on.
To get the maximum fuel efficiency benefits over long distances, the way to drive this car is in hybrid ‘Auto’ mode. However, as the average daily commute is less than 50km you can take advantage of electric-only driving and just charge the car up every night.
Out on the road, the 530e feels slightly more planted in the rear due to the batteries, and there is plenty of grip. The car is really agile and balanced and body-control is impressive with very little body-roll in and out of corners. The steering is accurate but is slightly lacking in feedback.
One of the most impressive things about the 530e is its refinement. The engine is very quiet and smooth and there’s very little in the way of wind noise or tyre roar even with the large wheels.
The suspension is well tuned for Irish roads with occupants insulated from the worst road surfaces and bumps. For an even more compliant ride, ditch the 20-inch wheels and stick with the 19-inch alloys.
The 530e makes sense, and to me is the better choice, if you are thinking of buying the 530i petrol model. The 530i SE model costs €61,720 and is €270 to tax a year, whilst the 530e SE is €64,600 with annual road tax of €170. You’d recoup the €2,880 after about 50,000km (less if you frequently travel in electric-only mode).
However, if you do a lot of driving as most 5 Series buyers seem to do, then perhaps you are considering a diesel model. The most efficient diesel is the 520d SE EfficientDynamics priced from €55,600 with the motor tax of €190. It has a combined fuel economy figure of 3.9-litres/100km. That’s twice as thirsty as the 530e model. Even so, you’d have to drive the 530e for years to recoup the €9,000 price difference, however, if you do spend a lot of time on the road there is a lot to be said for opting for the 530e for its refinement and comfortable, well-balanced ride.
Overall, the 530e is a green performance machine that offers the best of both worlds. You can commute in it without having to use a drop of fuel and when you do need to do longer trips you can reap the economic benefits of the hybrid powertrain.
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