The king amongst luxury car makers in India, BMW India have finally rolled out its highly successful Cheapest BMW 5 series, the BMW 525d. When launched earlier this year, the car seemed inspired by the flag ship 7 series. Viewed upfront, the car looks every bit a BMW. It bonnet is very long and almost like a snout. There are two prominent ridges on the bonnet which culminate on to the waiting kidney grilles. The head lamps with the day time Corona running lamps were always a hit with the Indian car buying public. This is testimony of the fact that BMW India recently rolled out their 10,000th car in India. The side profile reveals the 17 inch multi spoke high profile run flat tyres. Run flat tyres again? Well, BMW India seems to think that this is the best combination that would work for India.
The Hofmeister kink at the rear acctenuates the coupe like roofline of the BMW 525d car. This car is more subtle than the outgoing version and this was a definite thing since the company wanted to portray the car more as a family sedan. It has the longest wheelbase amongst its peers like the Mercedes E class and the Audi A6. Twin tail pipes at the rear and LED tail lamps add to the flair. Inside, the BMW 525d, one would be very pleased to note the high German quality of materials used. The large wheelbase does liberate more space inside and the rear seats now have more moolah. The front seats were always comfortable and now the rear ones also are spacious. So much so that the very purpose of buying a 7 series is lost now. There are some of the features missing than to reduce the cost. However a glaring omission is the absence of a spare wheel. Forget a smaller size, there is no spare wheel at all. The goodies included are the Auto hold function, keyless entry, proximity sensor, adaptive head lamps and electromechanical parking brake. The steering wheel also has steering mounted audio controls and cruise controls.
The one best thing is that one can customize a BMW car’s interiors with one’s own choice. This means that no BMW would look the same. The parking sensors are missing, there is no DVD screen system as well. The engine is the 2993 cc straight six diesel which pumps out 204 Bhp and 450 Nm of torque. The gearbox is an all new 8 speed automatic gear box. There is no key slot to insert the key and there is only a starter button. This helps in the sporty nature of the car. The joy stock like gear shifter also looks good. The cabin also shields one from the diesel clatter, which by the way is also sufficiently muffled. There is a dead pedal as well. The engine is very sprightly inspite of it been a diesel and the gear box is also very smooth and helps in the acceleration runs. The BMW 525d races from 0-100 kmph in just 8.7 seconds and goes on to an electronically limited top speed of 227 kmph. The handling of any BMW is for given and the same stands for this car. It handles brilliantly and even though the ride is slightly on the firmer side, it is not punishing.
The electronic power steering is a bit heavy at parking speeds but is very sensitive and a hoot to pilot. The boot is also spacious at 515 liters. Braking is handled by all wheel disc brakes, ABS, EBD, Brake Assist, traction control and ESP. Safety is very good at Bi xenon head lamps with cornering functions, TPMS, seat belts, radar warning for collision warning and 6 air bags. Fuel efficiency is also okay with the car returning 10.8 kmpl in the city and 15.2 kmpl on the highway. This is inspite of a heavy right foot. The icing on the cake is the sticker price of 45.53 lakhs , ex-showroom, Delhi. This is at least 8 lakhs less than its nearest competitor.
Engine: 2.0L I-4
Displacement: 2993 (cc)
No. of Cylinders: 4
Bore x Stroke (mm): 85.1 x 92.6
Number of Valves: 16
Compression Ratio: 16.5:1
Fuel System: Diesel
Performance (0-100) km/h: 8.7 (secs)
Transmission Type: 8-speed Automatic with Steptronic
Max. Power: 204 Bhp @4000 rpm
Max. Torque: 450 Nm @1750-2500 rpm
Fuel Tank Capacity (litres): 70
Trunk Capacity (litres): 515
Seating Capacity: 5
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Solid disc
Antilock Braking System: Yes
Power Steering: Electronic Power steering with variable assist
Steering Type: Rack and Pinion
Front Suspension: Mc pherson
Rear Suspension: independent
Shock Absorbers: steel
Wheel Type: Light Alloy
Wheel Size: 8 J x 17″
Tyres: 225/55 R17
City (kmpl.): 10.8
Highway (kmpl.): 15.2
Overall (kmpl.): 13.0
