So far this year, BMW has sold 8,300 examples of the 5-series. That figure comfortably exceeds sales of the BMW^s competitors: Mercedes-Benz E-class - 6,300; Audi A6 – 5,700; Jaguar S-type - 3.500. Sales are set to increase further thanks to the launch of a new variant, the 520d.
The new car is powered by BMW^s well-proved 2-litre four-pot turbodiesel. We drove the X3 with a version of this engine fitted recently and were a little disappointed with the performance, though the 520d gets 163bhp where the X3 made do with 150bhp. Peak torque of 250lb.ft comes in as low as 2,000rpm. This shove is enough to push the saloon to 62mph in just 8.6 seconds (the Touring is only 0.3 seconds behind) and its top speed is 139mph. More importantly, BMW claims that the 520d will average 47.9mpg and its CO2 emissions are only 158g/km.
Prices start at £25,925 for the saloon and £27,925 for the Touring. As with the rest of the range, there are SE and M Sport versions, at a premium of £310 and £3,420 respectively. The M Sport pack may sound expensive, but it looks a lot like the M5. The 520d goes on sale in September in the UK.
