The words luxury and value don’t always go together, but that was the case of the BMW 5-Series from one generation ago. There was a time one could buy this executive sedan for under P4-million, undercutting a lot of its competitors.
It’s no wonder then that there are heaps of the previous generation 5-Series, specifically the 520i, roaming the busting business districts and posh areas in the country. A large luxury cruiser for P3,990,000? Even the wealthy folks won’t pass up that kind of a deal.
These days, however, the 520i retails for P4,990,000, a million pesos more than before. But thankfully, BMW Philippines has added a value-packed variant that brings it back down to 2019 prices.
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BMW Philippines introduces the P3,990,000 version of the 520i; literally the same price as the 520i from about six years ago. It packs all the essentials you’d expect from a large luxury saloon. That puts it at just P100,000 more than the (admittedly stylish) 318i Touring and X1 sDrive18d.
In this case, it rides on smaller 18-inch alloys, and there’s no mention of the ‘Iconic Glow’ illuminated grille. But as far as we can tell, it’s still a lot of luxury car for the money.
You can all the advanced functions featured in the pricier version, namely the latest version of iDrive 8.5, along with several driving modes that also changes the mood and ambiance of the cabin. Veganza leather is abound inside, and the power memory seats are great got households with multiple households.
This value-enhanced edition even goes as far as retaining the Harman/Kardon hi-fi audio system, as well as the quad-zone climate control. Of course, it also keeps the power-operated trunk, cruise control, and parking assistant that includes the clever reverse assist that ‘remembers’ the last 50 meters to aid in getting out of tight spots. Also, there's no shortage of airbags inside, and it comes with collision warning systems and the like.
Powering this variant of the 5-Series is a 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo engine. It makes 208hp and 330Nm that then sends its power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine also packs mild-hybrid tech, so while it’s not coding exempt, you can expect better economy out of it nonetheless. BMW claims a fuel economy figure of up to 17.5km/L.
Interested? Well, you’d better hurry to your nearest BMW showroom because the sub-P4-million BMW 5-Series will only be here in limited quantities.
It’s great news for those looking for a large German sedan at midsize prices. As for us, we're keeping our fingers crossed for the punchier 530i M Sport that's currently available in Malaysia and Singapore.
Pretty please, BMW Philippines?
