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

The Diesel Driver » BMW 535d

BMW Australia Launches BMW 520d and BMW 535d

First Drive: BMW 535d