Review and test BMW 520d 190 CV Aut., sporty and diesel

With its latest generation of the Serie 5, BMW has taken its flagship saloon, the BMW Serie 7, as a reference, and this translates into a more advanced BMW Serie 5 that presents itself as a real alternative to the executive saloon of the Bavarian brand. Advanced is, without a doubt, the best adjective to describe the new BMW Serie 5. The level of technology in this new generation means that a simple test is not enough to cover all the novelties the German brand has presented that make the BMW Serie 5 one of the most advanced premium saloons on the market.

On top of all this comes the interesting combination of the unit we tested, a BMW 520d with 190 CV diesel engine but with a very sporty exterior appearance thanks to the M Sport Package, because a brutally sporty look and an economical engine are two extremes that can be perfectly combined.

Exterior Design

In the exterior design of the Serie 5, you can choose two completely different lines: on one hand the more luxurious one, which highlights the most premium side of this saloon, and on the other the sporty line. In addition, the sportiness can be taken to the maximum thanks to the M Sport Package (€5,461), which turns the exterior of this saloon into a sports car.

At the front, the bumper stands out, with two huge air intakes on this sporty version, as well as the LED front fog lights. The front headlights also feature Full-LED technology for all lighting functions, and are very effective.

On the side profile, the 19-inch M alloy wheels (sized 245/40 R19) and the air intakes at the front stand out, as well as the straight line that runs along the entire side up to the rear lights.

The rear is again very eye-catching thanks to the bumper (part of the M Sport package) with contrasting colour areas and two huge exhaust outlets. The rear lights also feature LED technology. You can also see the four exterior cameras that provide a 360-degree view.

Interior Design

When we move to the interior of this BMW Serie 5, we see lines familiar from the brand, with its characteristic interior design, but with a quality level in line with the segment. Good-quality soft plastics are mixed with leather parts and wood finishes, with a more than correct end result.

The huge screen is the star of the centre console, with the multimedia controls split between the lower part of the screen and the central rotary controller from which the entire multimedia system is operated. The instrumentation is fully digital, although it keeps the typical round dial design.

The front seats are huge armchairs with multiple electric adjustments, especially the side support, which is adjusted electrically with inflatable bolsters. The driving position is low and the sense of space is noticeable in both seats.

They feature a massage function, which not only acts on the backrest but also moves the seat base itself (a pioneer in the premium saloon segment in this respect), with several massage programmes that are all really effective and practical for when we have been driving for a long time, for example. As a minor drawback, I was surprised by how short the rear seat cushion of the passenger seat is, although it is comfortable.

The rear seats offer more than enough space for two adults, who will travel in complete comfort (without missing the space a Serie 7 can offer, for example). The climate control is independent for the rear seats and they have two air outlets. However, the passenger in the centre seat will not be very comfortable, because the backrest is firmer and the central tunnel is quite high.

The interior atmosphere is much closer to that offered by a BMW Serie 7 than to the previous generation of the Serie 5. Along with the quality of the finishes (where you can tell a good job has been done), there is an interior comfort atmosphere taken to the maximum level, with details such as the air freshener-ioniser that works with a sort of “cartridges” (like a printer) with different scents that create a truly premium interior atmosphere.

In terms of storage, it has plenty of places to leave your belongings, from several compartments in the central tunnel to the door pockets and the central glovebox. The boot , on the other hand, has a capacity of 530 litres, with a loading opening that is not very accessible when storing bulky objects.

Engine and Performance

The engine chosen to test the new BMW Serie 5 is the two-litre, four-cylinder unit that currently delivers 190 CV. The diesel range starts with this variant – above it are the 525d with 231 CV and the 530d with 265 CV. Although it is the entry-level diesel engine, it meets expectations without offering outstanding, but certainly correct, performance.

Its response from low revs stands out – it produces 400 Nm of torque at just 1,750 rpm – and it is particularly smooth when setting off. We only miss a few extra horsepower when driving in ECO mode or with the car heavily loaded; in other situations the response is good, and the different driving modes make the most of every horsepower, always with smoothness as the priority.

Paired with the engine is an eight-speed gearbox, relatively quick to change gears and contributing a great deal of comfort to the engine/gearbox pairing. That said, if you want a more dynamic response, the manual gearbox combination may be better for this 520d, while if you prioritise comfort, the automatic gearbox is a good choice.

Handling

The first characteristic that stands out when you get behind the wheel of the Serie 5 is the level of comfort, with excellent interior soundproofing; both the gearbox and the engine add a touch of smoothness, and stability at high speeds is outstanding, making it a great travelling companion where you barely notice the miles passing.

We can choose between several driving modes: ECO PRO, Comfort, Sport and Adaptive. The first aims for maximum efficiency and minimum consumption, although this is where we notice that it only has 190 CV. Comfort mode adjusts the suspension for the most comfortable setting, and Sport mode makes the most of each of the 190 CV. Finally, Adaptive mode constantly adjusts the dynamic suspension control, steering firmness and gearbox response to our driving style or the real condition of the road.

For maximum efficiency it has a “sailing” mode that activates when we do not need much acceleration, disengaging the gearbox and coasting with zero consumption. On our usual motorway route from Vigo to Madrid, we managed to cover 100 km in sailing mode.

As a good BMW, we tested it on dynamics, and it surprised us that despite its dimensions – 4.93 m – it is a truly agile saloon, with the good behaviour of our unit, which was fitted with the M sport suspension with dynamic control, standing out. Crowning the handling is the steering, typically BMW, very precise and ideal for any type of road.

Consumption

On our usual motorway route from Madrid to Vigo and back, the average consumption was 6.0 litres per 100 km. On country roads the figure is around 6.5 litres per 100 km, a figure that can rise to 7 litres per 100 km if we are not careful with the accelerator pedal.

In town, the final consumption we obtained on our usual route around Vigo was 9 litres per 100 km.

Equipment

One of the areas where the BMW Serie 5 stands out most is in the equipment and technology section; it is one of the most technologically advanced premium saloons on the market, and today it is ahead of its rivals in this respect.

The first thing we notice, and which immediately catches the eye, is the huge key, more like a smartphone than the typical car keys. This smart key (€284) has a colour touchscreen, has a battery – like a mobile phone – and allows us to perform several functions from it: start the car and move it, switch on the climate control and view information about the car.

Without a doubt, the most surprising feature is the ability to start the car and park it from the key itself (€569), and therefore without needing to be inside the car. There are some requirements: we must be near the car, it will only move a limited distance and practically in a straight line (although if it detects an obstacle it will brake or try to turn to avoid it). Beyond the technological detail, in practice the system is somewhat slow to get the whole mechanism going, which reduces the practicality of this function.

Parking is a very simple task in this Serie 5, since in addition to the above there is the assisted parking system, which takes care of manoeuvring when parking both parallel and bay parking, without our needing to intervene at all: the car does everything at the touch of a button.

If we decide to park ourselves, the 360-degree camera system is a great help for all kinds of manoeuvres, with particular praise for the handling of the different cameras (which have excellent resolution) and even a 3D recreation of the car (€1,252). Also worth mentioning are the adaptive LED headlights (€1,696), which offer outstanding lighting.

But the technology also extends to entertainment, since the multimedia system – with a huge touchscreen – (€853) offers all kinds of connectivity to check the weather, find out information about a place (using Wikipedia) or view photos of a destination before arriving, all thanks to the system’s internet connection through its own SIM card. You can even add more apps to those it already has for new services, or have a personal assistant to call from the car. Finally, the gesture control of the multimedia system (€284) stands out, allowing us to raise or lower the volume simply by moving our hand, or change tracks by moving two fingers.

Finally, in terms of driving assistants, it has a huge array of safety systems. This BMW Serie 5 can be equipped with blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning that keeps the vehicle within the road markings at speeds above 70 km/h, a drowsiness alert system (which monitors our gestures and reactions at the wheel), or automatic emergency braking in the event of a possible collision or pedestrians.

Review and price of the BMW Serie 5

For those looking for a spacious, technologically equipped executive saloon, there is no need to go for the BMW Serie 7, since this Serie 5 will meet our expectations. Dynamically it is an agile saloon that even calls for more horsepower than the 190 CV of the version we tested, and it is especially comfortable on country roads or on the motorway at high speeds.

To the interior comfort we must add all the technological equipment this Serie 5 offers, making it one of the most complete saloons in this respect today. It is interesting for those who want to stay connected at all times, or for those who do a lot of mileage and want a saloon with every kind of luxury.

The starting price of the BMW Serie 5 is €50,350 with the 190 CV diesel engine. Our version with all the equipment we have mentioned, however, costs €72,450, with all the extras.

Technical specifications of this car

SedanBMW Serie 516 versions · from 63,450 €