If you’re looking to buy something from the local BMW 5-Series line, but aren’t quite ready to put down P13.69 million for the M5 Competition at the very top of the food chain, here’s your other option: the 2022 BMW 520i, with a price tag of P4.29 million. Its entry marks the local debut of the updated 5-Series, and as of this writing, it’s the lone facelifted version that BMW Philippines is bringing in.
“We are thrilled to bring a more intuitive premium business sedan in the BMW 520i Luxury,” said Spencer Yu, president of SMC Asia Car Distributors. “The updated version brings forth features that are usually found only in the higher tiers of the luxury car market.”
Exterior changes include the most sensible-looking grille you’ll find across the German carmaker’s range, the twin-kidneys here boasting extra width and height as well as a slightly lower position compared with the pre-facelift model. The slimmer adaptive LED headlamps come with high-beam assist and an adaptive cornering function, while at the rear end, the taillights get black edging and a new L-shaped graphic. If we had to choose the best-looking car of all current BMWs, the 5-Series would be the top pick.
Under the hood is a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine, which is mated to an eight-speed Steptronic transmission. Peak figures of 184hp and 290Nm are good enough for a claimed 0-100 time of 7.9sec.
Inside, the infotainment system, which has a 12.3-inch central touchscreen as its main interface, comes with BMW Live Cockpit Professional and Gesture Control. Traditional switchgear and the latest generation of iDrive is still part of the standard kit if you’d rather turn knobs and press buttons instead of gesturing with your fingers midair in front of the central display. The multimedia setup comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and pipes sound through a 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround system.
Elsewhere in the cabin, you get Dakota leather seats, ambient lighting, four-zone air-conditioning, open-pored fine wood trim, and pearl chrome finishings. There’s Comfort Access to make locking and unlocking the car more convenient, a kick function for the trunk, and soft-close doors all around.
“This wide variety of innovations onboard make [the new 5-Series] immensely competitive at its price point and renders it perfect for the next generation of trailblazers who are looking to change the way they lead,” Yu added.
How do you find the specs of the 520i we’re getting? And if you could choose which other variants should be brought into the local market, what are your picks? Comments section, please.
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