BMW's 5 series expands: Meet the new 530e and 550e PHEV models

Delhi : The German luxury car manufacturer now offers plug-in hybrid versions of the sedan, which it first introduced earlier this year together with the eighth generation BMW 5 Series and its all-electric version, the i5. The 530e and 550e xDrive are the two PHEV models of the new BMW 5 Series. What's more intriguing is that the sedan's PHEV models offer up to 103 km of pure electric range, greatly extending the range.

The entry-level plug-in hybrid vehicle is the BMW 530e, which combines an electric motor with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine. The combined output of this hybrid powertrain is 450 Nm of maximum torque and 295 horsepower of peak power. It has a 103-kilometer range in pure electric mode.

The 550e model, on the other hand, is powered by a bigger 3.0-liter inline-six turbocharged petrol engine coupled with an electric motor. 700 Nm of maximum torque and 483 bhp of peak power are produced by this hybrid powerplant. The 550e has all-wheel drive and can travel up to 90 kilometers on electric power alone. Both the 530e and 550e models come with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

According to BMW, both of the new 5 Series' PHEV models have innovative technologies that let the electric motor produce more power. The electric motor in the 530e has been updated to provide 450 Nm torque, a huge increase from 280 Nm.

The 19.4 kWh battery pack in the new 5 Series sedan's two PHEV versions offers charging at up to 7.4 kW. According to the company, the battery can be fully charged in three hours and fifteen minutes using the 7.4 kW charger. It may also be charged by a standard wall outlet, however it will take about 12 hours to fully recharge the battery.

The PHEV models are exactly like the regular petrol-powered versions in terms of design. The 19-inch alloy wheels and fender-mounted flap for the battery charging power are the most obvious differences, though.