What We Like
Good-looking
Comfortable, spacious and premium cabin
Absolutely easy to drive
Handles quite nicely
One less polar bear killed (hopefully)
What We Dislike
None at all. Really.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV). It's something of a buzz term right now, what with brands having to reduce emissions and countries now even looking to ban diesel-powered cars. Electrification appears to be the way forward for the automotive industry, and PHEVs are a notable step in that direction.
In Singapore, BMW recently launched its iPerformance range of PHEV models, including this one - the BMW 530e iPerformance.
With its clean lines and sleek silhouette, the 530e is easy on the eyes
Blue steel
On first encounter with the 530e, you'd be forgiven for thinking it is just another traditional 5 Series. Visually, the body is exactly the same, with sleek dimensions, a low-slung silhouette and a long bonnet. It's on closer inspection that some aspects of the vehicle's unique character becomes evident, such as the additional blue detailing between the individual grills on the kidney grille, as well as the blue circles that ring the BMW logo on the wheels.
Inside, it's just like any other 5 Series, and we say that in the best possible way. It is vastly spacious, superbly comfortable, well put together, modern and classy, and it's really hard to fault the car's interior.
Depress the start button and that's when things start to become a little bit different. Nothing happens. Actually, that's not true, but it definitely feels like it. Since the 530e starts in full electric eDrive mode, you don't hear a sound, not even when you shift the gear lever into 'D' and move off.
The interior is a typically high-quality BMW affair
Smooth flow
There's just one way to describe driving this car - effortless. There's a generous amount of torque from the electric motor, and once you get going you don't have to think at all. The car can do that for you, and will engage eDrive even at highway speeds when it detects minimal throttle adjustments. The integration of the electric engine and the downtuned 2.0-litre engine is absolutely seamless. You can't feel the changeover between electric and petrol power at all.
There are three modes - auto eDrive, max eDrive and battery control, where the petrol engine is engaged all the time to maximise charging the battery. In full eDrive mode, the car is ridiculously quiet and serene. No engine noise, barely any wind and tyre rolling noise. You can literally converse in a whisper.
In Singapore, BMW recently launched its iPerformance range of PHEV models, including this one - the BMW 530e iPerformance.
Blue steel
On first encounter with the 530e, you'd be forgiven for thinking it is just another traditional 5 Series. Visually, the body is exactly the same, with sleek dimensions, a low-slung silhouette and a long bonnet. It's on closer inspection that some aspects of the vehicle's unique character becomes evident, such as the additional blue detailing between the individual grills on the kidney grille, as well as the blue circles that ring the BMW logo on the wheels.
Inside, it's just like any other 5 Series, and we say that in the best possible way. It is vastly spacious, superbly comfortable, well put together, modern and classy, and it's really hard to fault the car's interior.
Depress the start button and that's when things start to become a little bit different. Nothing happens. Actually, that's not true, but it definitely feels like it. Since the 530e starts in full electric eDrive mode, you don't hear a sound, not even when you shift the gear lever into 'D' and move off.
Smooth flow
There's just one way to describe driving this car - effortless. There's a generous amount of torque from the electric motor, and once you get going you don't have to think at all. The car can do that for you, and will engage eDrive even at highway speeds when it detects minimal throttle adjustments. The integration of the electric engine and the downtuned 2.0-litre engine is absolutely seamless. You can't feel the changeover between electric and petrol power at all.
There are three modes - auto eDrive, max eDrive and battery control, where the petrol engine is engaged all the time to maximise charging the battery. In full eDrive mode, the car is ridiculously quiet and serene. No engine noise, barely any wind and tyre rolling noise. You can literally converse in a whisper.
Around bends, the 530e still displays the fantastic balance and handling ability that the new 5 Series is known for, even with the additional bit of weight from the battery. The suspension also finds a great balance between being pliant for highway cruising yet firm enough to corner with verve.
A combined output of 249bhp may be modest, but with 420Nm of torque on offer, we never found ourselves calling the car slowThe only thing that takes a little getting used to is the way the car engine brakes. For the reason that it's optimising regenerative braking to charge the battery, the car slows down a lot more when you lift off the throttle than a normal car. You just need to adjust accordingly so as not to be overly surprised when it happens.
Oh yes, and one other thing. Whenever you stop and open the door, the car immediately shuts off. Great for when you are parked and leaving, not so great when you need to quickly hop out to grab a photo. That's literally the only real criticism we could find about this car (which isn't really a criticism at all).
What's not to like?
To be honest, it is desperately difficult to find fault with the 530e. It does everything you can possibly ask of a 5 Series, and gives you a little bit more with around 30km additional electric range (depending on how you drive).
The BMW 530e is an effortless and absolutely comfortable car that can take you many placesGiven the access to electric charging points in Portugal, PHEVs like this one will fit in just fine, alongside the numerous i3s and Smart FourTwos that we spied in Lisbon.
Will it be able to make a significant impact in Singapore? Well, that's still yet to be determined. As a product, the 530e is supremely accomplished and nearly flawless. But whether Singapore drivers buy into the notion of a PHEV, and whether our electric charging infrastructure is ready for electric vehicles, only time will tell.
Oh yes, and one other thing. Whenever you stop and open the door, the car immediately shuts off. Great for when you are parked and leaving, not so great when you need to quickly hop out to grab a photo. That's literally the only real criticism we could find about this car (which isn't really a criticism at all).
What's not to like?
To be honest, it is desperately difficult to find fault with the 530e. It does everything you can possibly ask of a 5 Series, and gives you a little bit more with around 30km additional electric range (depending on how you drive).
Will it be able to make a significant impact in Singapore? Well, that's still yet to be determined. As a product, the 530e is supremely accomplished and nearly flawless. But whether Singapore drivers buy into the notion of a PHEV, and whether our electric charging infrastructure is ready for electric vehicles, only time will tell.
