Photo: Autoblog.rs
We’ve seen a rather peculiar BMW 5 Series model testing earlier this year in China and the nameplate didn’t say anything special. Dubbed 530Le this is the first plug-in hybrid the world’s biggest auto market gets from Munich.
Launched today in at the 2014 Guangzhou Auto Show, the 5 Series doesn’t stand out from any other 5er in the range except for the extra fuel cap and the badge round the back. You’ll probably want to know what hides under the bonnet, right?
Well, it’s not what you might expect. At first, we thought that the 5er would use the same powertrain as the X5 eDrive Concept but we were wrong. As it turns out the 530Le is a little down on power.
Under the bonnet it uses the same 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine of the N20 family as in the X5 while on the rear axle an electric motor takes care of the power needed for the wheels.
Thanks to this arrangement the car has 272 HP in total at its disposal and can go 58 km (36 miles) on electric power alone, achieving speeds of up to 75 mph (120 km/h) and emitting zero CO2. When the two plants work together, the CO2 emissions are rated at 49 grams per km.
Making its world debut in China, the car is being manufactured locally by the BMW-Brilliance joint-venture, on the elongated platform that underpins the long wheelbase version. Prices haven’t been announced yet.
While it may not be of particular concern to Western markets at the moment, the launch of this plug-in hybrid 5 Series could mark an important step for BMW and a possible new venture for the future where such models will be more and more popular and in the entire range.
Well, it’s not what you might expect. At first, we thought that the 5er would use the same powertrain as the X5 eDrive Concept but we were wrong. As it turns out the 530Le is a little down on power.
Under the bonnet it uses the same 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine of the N20 family as in the X5 while on the rear axle an electric motor takes care of the power needed for the wheels.
Thanks to this arrangement the car has 272 HP in total at its disposal and can go 58 km (36 miles) on electric power alone, achieving speeds of up to 75 mph (120 km/h) and emitting zero CO2. When the two plants work together, the CO2 emissions are rated at 49 grams per km.
Making its world debut in China, the car is being manufactured locally by the BMW-Brilliance joint-venture, on the elongated platform that underpins the long wheelbase version. Prices haven’t been announced yet.
While it may not be of particular concern to Western markets at the moment, the launch of this plug-in hybrid 5 Series could mark an important step for BMW and a possible new venture for the future where such models will be more and more popular and in the entire range.
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