Review: 2021 BMW 5 Series Facelift

Four years after a brand-new generation of one of BMW's most popular sedans the 5 series was launched in the country, the Bavarian car maker is back with the facelift of the car that was revealed to the world in 2020. Its been one of the most popular models in the company's portfolio both globally and in India and comes at a time when buyers are once again flocking to showrooms after spending most of last few months off the roads.

Design

The new 5 series gets a redesigned kidney grille and new LED DRLs.

BMW has made a ton changes to the exterior to help you differentiate between the pre-facelift car and this one. The kidney grille is bigger than before and a dash of chrome on it. I like the way the vertical slats jut out from the top of the grille. The new adaptive LED headlamps are a part of the reworked cluster and come with sharper DRLs. The M sport version you see in these pictures also gets BMW's laser light tech where the maximum range of the throw has increased to 650 mm.

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Trapezoidal tailpipe finishers are now seen across the range.

The bumpers too have been revised at either end for a more aggressive look with larger air intakes. On the rear, a new L-shaped light graphic is worth taking a note of while trapezoidal tailpipe finishers are seen across the range. The 530i M-sport you see here is the only petrol option on offer while the diesel is available in both the Luxury line and M-sport variants albeit with different engines. All the variants of the car get 18 inch alloy wheels. The car also gets 2 new colour options named Phytonic blue metallic and Bernina Grey Amber effect.

Tech & Interior

A bigger 12.3 inch touchscreen is now standard across the range.

Two big highlights inside the cabin of the updated 5 series are the two 12.3-inch screens. First is the all digital instrument cluster that gives a lot of varied information. The graphics are pretty neat here, the displays change according to modes and things like navigation map, status indicators for the driver assistance systems or 3D visualization of areas can be displayed simultaneously. And then the touch screen has become bigger than before and is offered as standard across the range. Importantly it is also compatible with Android Auto now, earlier it was only Apple CarPlay compatible. The new iDrive 7 offers more personalization options here. The 530i also comes with sports seats with Sentasec perforated trim and you have a lot of colours to choose from.

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The 530i comes with a higher quality sports seats with Sentasec perforated trim.

On other trims many Dakota leather and Nappa leather upholstery options are available. The buttons on the centre console now have a high-gloss black which looks more premium than earlier while lumbar support has now been added to the 520d and 530i variants. Other notable features in the cabin include a 4-zone climate control, a 464 watt Harman sound system with 16 speakers and wireless charging. Adding to the luxury quotient is the presence of a glass roof, electrically adjustable roller sunblind's and soft-close function for doors. Gesture control, ambient lighting and head up display add to the bling factor.

Dynamics

The 5 series continues to be offered with 1 Petrol and 2 Diesel engine options.

On the updated 5 series there are 3 engine options to choose from, just like the pre-facelift car. The 2.0-litre twin turbo 4-cylinder petrol makes 248 bhp along with a healthy 350 Nm from 1450 to 4800 rpm. The 2.0 litre 4-cylinder diesel on the other hand makes 187 bhp and 400 Nm between 1750 and 2500 rpm. The most powerful of the lot is the 3.0 litre 6-cylinder diesel churns out 261 bhp and delivers a whopping peak torque of 620 Nm from 2000-2500 rpm. An 8-speed automatic transmission is standard across all variants.

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The Petrol comes in just the M Sport option while Diesel gets Luxury line too.

On the 530i that I got to drive, there's no dearth of fun that can be had especially with the peak torque figure of 350 Nm that kicks in rather early at 1450 rpm. The gearbox is quite good too and responds well to your needs and I'm not talking about the Sport or Sport+ modes. And then there are paddle shifters to make the experience even better. But this petrol engine isn't the most economical or quickest off the blocks in the engine lineup. Those 2 laurels go to the 2 diesel engines, the 520 d gives the maximum fuel efficiency at 22.48 kmpl while the 530d does speeds of 0-100 kmph in just 5.7 seconds. On the 530i, BMW is promising 14.82 kmpl. Automatic start stop function and brake energy regeneration help in achieving better fuel efficiency.

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You can choose between a sportier or a more relaxed suspension setting.

The driver has the option of choosing between different drive modes for sporty, comfortable or fuel-efficient vehicle settings. These are Comfort, Sport, ECO PRO and Adaptive modes. In the new adaptive mode, the steering, suspension and transmission are automatically adjusted depending on the driving style which helps in changing road conditions. A longish wheelbase and wide track help in retaining the dynamic character the 5 series has always been associated with. You can clearly see that the focus is on giving you a plush ride without really compromising on the dynamic capabilities of the sedan. So, while you have adaptive suspension that monitors all the wheels individually, even more handy is the driver experience control switch that lets you choose between a sportier or a more relaxed suspension setting.

Safety

The new 5 series comes with a long list of standard safety features.

The long list of safety features includes as many as 7 airbags including a knee airbag, tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX child seat mounts and a parking assistant which helps the driver to select and make use of parallel and perpendicular parking spaces and takes over control of the accelerator, brakes, steering and gearshifts. Apart from these the sedan also comes with safety features like cornering brake control, dynamic stability control and attentiveness assistant.

Prices

Rivals for the 5 series include Mercedes E-class, Audi A6 and Jaguar XF.

The 5 series continues to impress with its dynamic capabilities but a more contemporary face and tech laden cabin has made the car even more appealing than before. It starts at Rs. 62.90 lakh for the Petrol version while the 520d is priced at Rs. 63.90 lakh. Top of the line 530d will set you back by Rs. 71.90 lakh (all prices ex-showroom). It is going up against the likes of the recently launched Mercedes E-class, Audi A6 and Jaguar XF. While the 2 variants of A6 are priced at Rs. 57.08 lakh and Rs. 61.81 lakh (ex-showroom), the E-Class ranges from Rs. 63.60 lakh to Rs. 80.90 lakh (ex-showroom). The only version of the XF is priced at Rs. 55.67 lakh (ex-showroom). At a time when even the luxury car buyer is looking to shift towards SUVs, cars like the E-class and the 5 series might just force them rethink.