The Diesel Driver » BMW 535d

BMW unveils i3, i8, 640d, 525d, 118d, and 3 EfficientDynamics Edition models at Frankfurt Show

Christian Stampfer — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 03:49:38 +0000

The Frankfurt Internationale Automobile Austellung (International Automobile Show) is so important to BMW that the company built its own exhibit hall last year, complete with a track built into the permanent stage. BMW, Mini ,and Rolls Royce traditionally unveils their new car concepts in Frankfurt and the 64th IAA was no exception. Not less than five world premieres, one European premier, and one German premiere took place there.

BMW opened its press conference with the world premiere of two cars, the BMW i3 Concept and the BMW i8 Concept, both under the new sub-brand BMW i. BMW i represents BMWs interpretation of the individual urban mobility of the future.

The BMW i3 Concept, which was named “Mega City Vehicle” during its early developmental stages, provides an glimpse of what the first purely electrically-powered production car from the BMW Group. The i3 offers room for four passengers with a luggage capacity of 200 liters.

With a power output of 125 kW / 170 hp, the electric motor of the BMW i3 Concept generates 250 Nm (184 pound-feet) of torque). As is characteristic of electric motors, maximum torque is available immediately when the motor is activated. The BMW i3 Concept has a maximum range of approximately 150 km (93.2 miles) and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 – 62 mph) in less than eight seconds. Maximum speed is 150 km/h (93.2 mp/h).

To offset the additional weight of the car’ batteries, BMW decided to use high-tech material carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the passenger cell of the BMW i3 Concept. The production version of the BMW i3 will roll off the production line starting in 2013 at the BMW plant in Leipzig.

The world premiere of the BMW i8 Concept provides us with a glimpse at, BMW’s idea of the upcoming generation of sports cars. At the 63rd IAA in 2009, BMW presented the Vision EfficientDynamics (a three-cylinder diesel electric hybrid show car), which can be seen as the predecessor of the BMW i8 Concept.

The BMW i8 Concept is a plug-in hybrid with a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine and a modified version of the electric motor which powers the BMW i3 Concept. Together, the two motors accelerate the vehicle in less than five seconds from a standing start to 100 km/h (0 – 62 mph) while the top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). The petrol engine delivers 164 kW (223 hp) and has a maximum torque of 300 Nm (221 pound-feet) while using less than 3.0l/100 km (more than 75 mpg) according to the EU test cycle.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – The 640d, 525d, 118d, and 3 EfficientDynamics Edition models

Driving the BMW 520d – The Road to Frankfurt – Review

Christian Stampfer — Sun, 01 May 2011 15:18:21 +0000

Frankfurt am Main, Europe’s largest and most important financial center, is situated along the Main River in the south-western part of the German state Hessen (Hesse). Germany’s fifth largest city is home to over 672.000 people and was named one of the 10 most liveable cities in the world by Mercer. In addition to a large number of commercial banks, the European Central Bank and the German Federal Bank have based their headquarters here. Frankfurt is also well known to car enthusiasts as the location of the International Automobil Ausstellung (IAA), which takes place every two years

For the drive to Frankfurt, I had an elegant deep sea blue metallic BMW 520d sedan with an interior of dark wood trim and oyster leather. The car was relatively new with only 1.968 km (1.222 miles) on the odometer and it came fully equipped with all the latest innovations we saw in the BMW 535d sedan that we drove to Bratislava six weeks earlier.

Important safety features such as the Lane Departure Warning and the Active Blind Spot Detection were included. It also came equipped with Dynamic Damper Control, a Head-Up Display, and the new 8-speed sport automatic gear box.

Over the past year, I’ve had the opportunity to experience several versions of BMW’s 2.0-liter diesel engine (BMW 320d Edition EfficientDynamics and BMW 120d convertible), so this engine is well known to me. The first time I got to try out the reworked 2.0-liter diesel engine with its 184 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque was on the all-new X3 xDrive20d last December on my tour of Berchtesgaden and Austria.

Fuel economy for all of these cars was exemplary. Indeed, because of these experiences, I was looking forward to seeing the performance and fuel economy of the BMW 520d first hand. According to the official data, the BMW 520d can go from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 8.1 seconds. It has a maximum top speed of 225 km/h (139.8 mph) with the 8-speed sport automatic gearbox.

The 520d’s fuel economy ranges from 6.4 l/100 km (36.75 mpg) in city driving to 4.5 l/100 km (52.3 mpg) on the highway. Combined fuel economy of the EU test cycle is 5.2 l/100 km (45.23 mpg). In contrast, the 535d is rated at 7.9 l/100 km (29.7 mpg) in the city and 6.1 l/100 km (38.5 mpg) on the highway.

For my drive to Frankfurt I had a choice of several different routes and I opted to take the Autobahn A8 (direction Stuttgart / Karlsruhe) and A5 (direction Frankfurt). According to Google Maps, this would be a four hour drive with a total distance of 433 km (269 miles).

Click here to continue to Page 2 -Driving the BMW 520d to Frankfurt

2011 BMW 535d Sedan Review and Road Test

Jonathan Spira — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 18:16:13 +0000

When a model is responsible for 50% of your company’s profit – and you are replacing it with a brand new vehicle – you have to get it right. BMW has been making the 5 Series sedan since 1972 when the line replaced the New Six (the 2500/2800/Bavaria models).

The sixth generation 2011 5 Series is that replacement and, one year after its launch, it’s clear that BMW not only got it right but excelled in all the right places.

The basic 5 Series configuration hasn’t changed a lot since 1972: namely, front engine, rear-wheel drive, 50-50 weight balance, a good mixture of ride comfort and handling, and room for four adults with luggage. Since its launch, more than 5.5 million of the 5er Series have been sold.

Today, BMW is having trouble keeping up with the demand for the 5er, which lost the unusual styling of its polarizing predecessor and pays homage to the 5er Series models that preceded it. As a result, the new 5er looks more like a part of the BMW family (and quite similar to the new 7er Series) than its predecessor ever did.

Buyers in the U.S. currently have a choice of three gasoline-powered 5 Series models: the 528i, the 535i, and the 550i. In Europe, customers get a choice of six petrol and five diesel models. A diesel model is planned for the U.S. but its arrival date is uncertain.

Over the past year, we’ve had the opportunity to drive several 5ers including (in order of appearance) the 530d, the 535i GT, the 550i, the 535d Touring (wagon) , and, most recently, the 535d Sedan. When a diesel 5er finally arrives on these shores, it will have been worth waiting for.

The BMW 535d is aggressively elegant. To quote BMW chief designer Adrian von Hooydonk, “The 5-series is designed to express autobahn speed even when standing still.” The multiple contours on the sculpted hood and sides add a layer of depth not present in earlier models. People who walked over to look at the car puzzled over the hood, trying to discern if it were indeed concave or convex (it’s both).

The interior mirrors the layout of the new 7er, with richer materials and softer, supple leather. After spending several days in the front seats, I am more convinced than ever that BMW’s Comfort Seats are the best in the industry. In the rear, passengers benefit from a few extra inches thanks to a three-inch (7.6 cm) increase in the wheelbase.

With the new 5er, BMW has returned to a driver-oriented cockpit (something first abandoned in the previous generation 5er). As a result, cabin ergonomics are just perfect. Everything – think switches, knobs, levers, buttons – is placed exactly where the driver needs it to be – a significant advantage when driving at speeds in excess of 160 km/h (100 mph) on an Autobahn. While there are some differences, the dash looks as if it came directly from the 7er.

Indeed, the 5er Series has the 7er’s high-resolution 10.2” Central Information Display, which doesn’t wash out in direct sunlight. The fourth-generation iDrive system, which keeps getting better, not only has an easy-to-use and intuitive menu structure and an ergonomic controller knob, but new features and functionality as well.

The newest functionality adds one-shot destination voice entry for navi (you can say the entire address without pausing – and the system actually understands it), voice control for iPod, iPod Out, and Bluetooth Mobile Office.

Apple’s iPod Out system, which BMW is the first automaker to support, allows drivers to see music information (including categorization and album art) exactly as the information would appear on an iPod. This includes support for Apple’s Genius recommendation system, as well as custom playlists.

Bluetooth Mobile Office provides integration with supported smartphones, allowing calendar and tasks to be displayed. The car will read e-mails, text messages, calendar entries, and notes out loud using built-in text-to-speech technology. I have to admit that I had forgotten about this feature until the 535d displayed a new message icon on the CID and it turned out to be new text and e-mail messages on my BlackBerry Torch.

Click here to continue to Page 2 -Driving the BMW 535d

The Road to Bratislava – Driving the BMW 535d Sedan

Christian Stampfer — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:18:51 +0000

Bratislava, known in many regions by its German name, Preßburg, is the capital of Slovakia. It was the destination for a long distance road trip with the all new BMW 535d sedan. The drive from Munich to Bratislava would be more than 500 km (310 miles) , so TDD editor Jonathan Spira and I decided to take the drive together.

Our dark graphite metallic (sophistograu) 535d sedan, which we picked up a few days prior to our drive, was fully loaded with virtually all of the latest innovations the new 5er Series has to offer. This includes safety features such as the Lane Departure Warning and Active Blind Spot Detection, and the Speed Limit Info, which show up directly on the Head-Up Display. We were also looking forward to seeing the effects of the Dynamic Damper Control and exercising the 8-speed sport automatic gearbox, which, because of its enormous torque, is standard on the 535d.

The straight six-cylinder diesel engine of the 535d is engineered with BMWs latest TwinPower Turbo technology including direct fuel injection and twin-scroll turbo technology. This combination provides the driver with 300 hp (220 kW) and a powerful 425 pound-feet of torque. This brings the 535d from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.7 seconds, making it faster than the 335d, which takes 6.0 seconds to cover the same distance. To say it accelerates is an understatement. We found, to quote a BMW advert in the U.S. from the 1960s, it “goes like schnell.”

On a sunny Sunday morning, after a wonderful brunch at the Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Hotel in Munich, we started our journey to Bratislava. While I stored our baggage in the large trunk (520 liter volume) of the 535d sedan, Jonathan programmed the Navi Professional with our destination and we started via the famous Maximiliansstraße towards the Autobahn A8, in the direction of Salzburg. This was to be the slowest portion of our trip. Thanks to the extra tight security during the Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz 2011 (Munich Security Conference), it was quite a challenge for us to leave the inner city due to multiple street closures. As a result, we had to take the Rosenheimer Straße and we passed by the Deutsches Museum on our way to the Autobahn A8, which we reached a few minutes later.

We then continued on the A8 in the direction of Salzburg for the next 130 km (81 miles) and enjoyed a beautiful mountain panorama of the Bavarian and Austrian Alps before we reached the Austrian border. It was not, however, a fast trip. Perhaps thanks to the unusually sunny and warm weather conditions (for February), there was heavy Sunday afternoon traffic and, and the Autobahn had a maximum speed limit of 120 km/h (74 mp/h) until Irschenberg. We also passed through several construction areas on a two lane stretch of the A8, where our speed was limited to 80 km/h (50 mp/h).

Click here to continue to Page 2 – Crossing the border with the BMW 535d

BMW 535d Review and Road Test Part I: The Road to Burghausen

Jonathan Spira — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 02:24:32 +0000

The 2011 BMW 535d is the flagship diesel-powered sedan in the sixth generation of BMW’s vaunted 5er Reihe (5er Series), code-named F10. The 5er Series is very important to BMW as it accounts for a major

portion of the company’s profits. Indeed, at the company’s 2010 annual shareholders meeting , Norbert Reithofer, BMW’s Vorstandvorsitzender (CEO), commented that that the 5er Series is a “key driver of sales, image and profit for the BMW Group.” He also mentioned that BMW has “received considerably more orders than planned” for the 5er Series.

The 5er Series is available as a sedan or a wagon (or Touring, in BMW parlance) and it has none of the unusual styling quirks that made its predecessor such a polarizing force. Indeed, in many respects, the latest 5er Series looks as if it inherited the best genes from the previous five generations of 5er Series that preceded it.

BMW recently unveiled two important 5ers, the 535d, a super efficient, super fast diesel, and the 5er Series Touring, the fourth generation of this body style.

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The straight-six that powers the 535d Touring manages to conjure up 300 hp thanks to BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, yet it is remarkably efficient and eco-friendly. While it can get from 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds, it uses only 5.3 l/100 km on the highway (44.4 mpg) and 8.1 l/100 km in the city (29 mpg) and its CO2 emissions are only 165 g per kilometer.

BMW offered me the best of both worlds with a new 535d Touring. I was to be the first U.S. journalist to drive the new 535d so I was very much looking forward to the trip. I planned to spend a week with the car, starting in Munich, driving to Burghausen and Ach in Austria and, later on, to the Bavarian Alps, before returning to Munich.

The Touring is as aggressively elegant as the sedan. To quote BMW chief designer Adrian von Hooydonk, “The 5-series is designed to express autobahn speed even when standing still.” The multiple contours on sculpted hood make people contemplate whether they are concave or convex (they are both).

The interior is similar to the 7er Series, with rich materials and soft, supple leather. There are even a few innovations (such as a slot in the center console to hold the key) which aren’t available in the 7er.

Before leaving for the Alps, The Diesel Driver’s European Editor Christian Stampfer and I decided to take the 535d for a drive to Burghausen, near the Austrian border, and back.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – The Drive to Burghausen

2011 BMW 535d – First Look

Jonathan Spira — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 03:34:26 +0000

The new BMW 535d somehow manages to make the previous 535d, with a mere 391 pound-feet of torque, look like a slouch. Not only that, it does this with improved fuel economy and acceleration. This is all thanks to the redesigned 3.0-liter straight-six engine which now creates 300 hp and 440 pound-feet of torque.

With its 70 liter (18.5 gallon) fuel tank, the 535d can go over 1300 km (807 miles) on a single tank.

The 535d comes equipped with a redesigned 3.0-liter twin turbo straight engine that produces 300 hp (220 kW). The previous-generation 535d Sedan got from 0 to 100 k (0-62 miles) in 6.4 seconds. The new 535d achieves the same speed in just 5.7 seconds. In fact, it’s faster than the lighter 335d, which takes six seconds to get there.

The 535d is available as a sedan or touring (station wagon). Both come with BMW’s eight-speed automatic transmission and electro-mechanical power steering EPS. Multiple EfficientDynamics features are included, including brake energy regeneration, demand-dependant ancillary components, and active flap control. Lower weight is achieved through doors, hood, front side panels, drivetrain, and suspension components made from aluminum.

BMW ConnectedDrive features include the parking assistant, collision warning with brake activation in conjunction with active cruise control, lane change warning, lane departure warning, speed limit info, and head-up display. Also available are Surround View, BMW Night Vision, and High-beam Assistant.

BMW is also adding BlackBerry integration to ConnectedDrive. This will allow the driver to receive e-mail messages in the car. The e-mails will be displayed on the iDrive information display and the system will even read the messages aloud. It will also display tasks, calendar entries, and text messages.

Next week The Diesel Driver will drive a BMW 535d throughout Bavaria. Expect a complete report soon.

BMW Australia Launches BMW 520d and BMW 535d

Paul Riegler — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 03:45:48 +0000

The Australian market will get two of BMW’s four 5er Series diesel sedans, namely the 520d and the 535d (BMW also makes a 525d and a 530d, which we reviewed back in May).

The 520d has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that produces 185 hp (135 kW) and 280 pound-feet (380 Nm) of torque. It used 4.9 l/100 km (48 mpg) in the combined EU test cycle (although BMW Australia reported its fuel usage as 5.2 l/100 km) and CO2 emissions are just 137 g/km. [The EU test cycle has three components: city or urban driving (the first 800 seconds of the test), highway or extra urban driving (the next 400 seconds), and combined (the complete cycle).]

The 520d can go from zero to 100 km (0-62 mph) in 8.1 seconds. For $83,300, Australians get an eight-speed automatic transmission, 17″ alloy wheels, Head Up Display (HUD), Park Distance Control, among other options. BMW EfficientDynamics technologies for the 520d include low rolling-resistance tires, brake energy regeneration, and air vent control. The 520d is available in Australia effective immediately.

The 535d, a new addition to BMW’s diesel offerings, comes with a 3.0-liter 300 hp (220 kW) twin-turbo six-cylinder engine that produces 442 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque. The 535d, which will become available in November, will cost $134,400 and (in addition to the equipment listed for the 520d) includes metallic paint, 18″ alloy wheels, an eight-speed sports automatic transmission, rear view camera, Comfort Access, and a 12-speaker HiFi system. It used 6.1 l/100 km (38.5 mpg) in the EU test cycle and sprints from zero to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 5.7 seconds.

BMW of North America will offer a 5er Series diesel by mid-2011. Prices quoted are in Australian dollars.

First Drive: BMW 535d

Jonathan Spira — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:38:58 +0000

With its 3-liter inline six-cylinder engine with twin turbochargers (small one for low revs, large for high revs) that work in sequence to eliminate turbo lag, the 535d has so much power that you simply would have had to look at the model badge on the trunk to confirm it’s a diesel. BMW even engineered the exhaust note to sound like a gasoline-powered BMW straight six. And it’s not dirty or smelly either: the tailpipe had no soot stains that would betray its humble origins.

In the five days I had the car, I drove a total of 1126 kilometers (700 miles) including a roundtrip from Munich to Vienna, averaging 40 mpg (5.9 l/100 km). On a clear stretch of Autobahn outside Munich, the car happily stayed at 240 km/h (150 mph), traffic permitting. In Austria, I tried hard to stay below 150 km/h (93 mph) because the photo-radar on the Autobahnen are set for that speed but it was difficult not to accelerate to the car’s full potential; fortunately, the photo-radar units are also very visible during the daytime.

While the 535d won’t be offered in the U.S., BMW is now importing the 335d, which uses the same engine in the smaller 3er Series body.

THE DETAILS

2009 BMW 535d

Base price €55,200

Drivetrain Front engine, rear-wheel drive

Engine 3.0-liter inline 6 twin turbo

Max hp 286

Max torque (pound-feet) 428

Curb weight

(pounds)
3825

Wheelbase (inches) 113.7

Length x width x height (inches) 191.1 x 72.7 x 57.8

0-62 mph (seconds) 6.4

City/highway fuel economy (mpg) 27/43.5

	2009 BMW 535d
Base price	€55,200
Drivetrain	Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine	3.0-liter inline 6 twin turbo
Max hp	286
Max torque (pound-feet)	428
Curb weight (pounds)	3825
Wheelbase (inches)	113.7
Length x width x height (inches)	191.1 x 72.7 x 57.8
0-62 mph (seconds)	6.4
City/highway fuel economy (mpg)	27/43.5