BMW hikes most new 5 Series prices

BY BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS | 15th Apr 2010

BMW Australia has revealed pricing for its sixth-generation 5 Series less than two months ahead of its official June 3 release.

Biggest news is a higher $83,300 admission price for the redesigned large luxury sedan range, which will again open with the four-cylinder 520d diesel when it arrives here in September.

Meantime, the most affordable six-cylinder version of the new F10-generation 5 Series, the 528i, will cost $99,900 - less than the $116,824 BMW currently charges for the 3.0-litre E60-generation 530i it most directly replaces, but more than the outgoing 2.5-litre 523i ($86,530) and 525i ($96,910).

While there is no replacement for the bahnstorming M5 super-sedan yet, the all-new twin-turbo 535i sedan will cost $128,900 and the flagship 550i will top the launch range at $178,900 - some $8100 more than the model it supersedes.

BMW says the all-new F10 range from Bavaria ups the luxury, comfort, technology, economy, ecology, performance and dynamics ante to hitherto unheard of levels in the large luxury sedan class.

Compared to the outgoing 5 Series, the new Five is a clean-sheet redesign teeming with advancements from the new F01-generation 7 Series, like a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox and trick wishbone front suspension on all models.

So if all this trickle-down technology from the $200,000-plus flagship is tallied up, the $83,300 ask for the expected top-selling 135kW/380Nm 520d makes the newcomer seem like incredible value.

But viewed from the still-edgy flanks of the E60 520d ($76,400), the replacement demands a $6900 premium for its much-improved performance and efficiency.

The slick Mercedes-Benz W212 E220 CDI and ageing Audi A6 2.7 V6 TDI are also cheaper at $80,900 and $80,300 respectively, while the equivalent four-pot A6 2.0 TDI diesel costs just $71,600.

This particular F10 5 Series has not been sampled by GoAuto yet but we have driven six-cylinder and V8s versions abroad, and concluded them to be the best BMW sedans ever. Both versions feel like a fitter but virtually as cosseting 7 Series, so a 520d drive on home ground is required to see just how its price premium stacks up.

At less than $100,000, however, the 190kW/310Nm 528i is bound to make a mark since it espouses the classic BMW driveline recipe (revvy in-line six), yet costs almost $30,000 less than the cheapest V6 E-class ($128,900 E350, while the $93,000 E250 CGI is down 900cc and two cylinders), and some $6000 less than the Jaguar XF 3.0 Luxury ($105,990).

However, the A6 performs an all-wheel drive pincer move on the Munich marque with the $87,700 2.8 FSI V6 quattro (and the $107,700 3.0 TFSI V6 supercharged quattro version is not far away). Two versions of the Lexus GS300 (the $94,900 Sports and $106,900 Luxury) bookend the new 528i.

Compared to the outgoing 530i, the $16,000-cheaper F10 528i has 5kW less power but 5Nm more torque and 14 per cent better fuel economy to match its 10 per cent lower price no wonder BMW insiders feel this may be the best-seller.

Moving on, the TwinPower turbocharged 225kW/400Nm 3.0-litre 535i – the first forced-induction petrol engine 5 Series to ever be sold in Australia so there is no E60 predecessor – shadows Mercedes' E350 at $128,900 but outpaces it on paper for performance, economy and emissions.

There is no XF or A6 answer for the 535i from Jaguar or Audi, leaving only the stealthy Lexus GS450h hybrid to stand in the way, and that costs just $4000 more.

Lastly, the turbo V8-powered 300kW/600Nm 550i lobs in from $178,900 (is Mercedes doing all the hard pricing work, since the E500 also comes with the same set of numbers?).

That’s a sizeable $8100 hike over the old 550i and is almost $35,000 more expensive than both the Jaguar XF 5.0 Premium Luxury and the Lexus GS500 V8s, but – as with all of the upcoming 5 Series sedans – the BMW’s on-paper numbers make for the most compelling figures of all.

“Through the use of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies, the BMW 5 Series sedan offers the most powerful and fuel efficient engines in its class,” the company says, adding that the new Five sets another new benchmark in its class by offering “significantly more value than the outgoing model” via a “vast increase in standard luxury features and advanced technology”.

Backing that BMW statement up on the lowliest 520d is a fat wad of bits, including multi-zone climate-control, Dakota leather and wood trim, keyless start, cruise control with brake function, front and rear park sensors, a Head-Up instrumentation display, power-adjustable front seats, auto-on lights and wipers, satellite-navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, a CD audio system with a USB interface and rear-seat boot access.

Safety equipment includes six airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes with BMW’s Cornering Brake Control, plus brake assist, electronic stability control, active front head restraints and active bonnet pedestrian protection.

The petrol cars gain bi-Xenon high intensity discharge headlights, larger alloys, ambient lighting on the 535i and 550i, plus adaptive cornering headlights, high beam assist, a rear-view camera, fuller electric front seat adjustment with lumbar support, sports leather steering wheel, comfort access system, fancier air-conditioning, an audio upgrade, 12 speakers and metallic paint.

The latter also gets comfort seats with ventilation and heating, alarm, sunroof, electric sunblind for the rear window, anti-dazzle exterior mirrors, four-zone auto air-con, improved navigation, voice recognition and a DVD changer.

Option box tickers can have the latest Active Cruise Control with ‘Stop & Go’ and BMW Night Vision, while the Five buyer can now choose ‘Parking Assistant and Surround View’ that finds and steers the car into an appropriate space automatically.

Also new is BMW’s Integral Active Steering that offers active rear wheel steering to an angle up to 3.0 degrees.

"The new BMW 5 Series sedan represents a dramatic advancement in the evolution of the world's best luxury executive sedan," said BMW Group Australia managing director Stavros Yallouridis.

"With its stunning contemporary design, trademark BMW driving dynamics, powerful and efficient petrol and diesel engines an extensive array of luxury features and advanced technologies, the new 5 Series Sedan has moved forward in every way.

"In keeping with our objective to consistently increase value for our customers, BMW Group Australia has been able to maintain the price of the new model at levels that are comparable to the previous generation on a specification adjusted comparison and more than competitive with our major rivals," he said.