Munich, Germany ― It was through countless quintessential German villages that I maneuvered the BMW’s new 5 Series ― the 530d Sedan and the 535i Grand Turismo.
Making my way on the indefinitely winding roads to a golf course near Aschheim where BMW runs its test track, I realized why the 5 Series stands as one of the most successful lineups in the world, especially the sedans: All you had to do was slip your foot on the accelerator, and off she went.
The roar of the engine ― a straight four-cylinder based on the German carmaker’s homemade TwinPower Turbo technology ― testified to the power, purring loudly in my ears every time traffic let up enough to step on the gas.
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BMW’s new 5 Series. (BMW Group) |
The steering was exceptionally stable, despite the sharp curves I was forced to take, courtesy of BMW to make the test-drive as thorough as possible to make sure the journalists weren’t getting off easy.
Thanks to a short but heavy rain shower that swept through the parts of Germany I was in, I also had a chance to test the 530d on wet roads.
I wouldn’t have even realized the ground was wet if I hadn’t stepped out of the car for a break.
It’s at this point I must compare the 530d, which has not yet been introduced in Korea, with the 520d.
The 520d is a superb machine, no doubt, but it was no match for the 530d, which is a straight six-engine with a maximum 258 horsepower and torque of 560. The 520d is a straight four with 143 horsepower and torque at 360 at best.
Hopefully, the 530d will become available this time around. It would be just the kind of upgrade for Korean BMW aficionados, especially those who felt they had to “settle” for the 520d.
Since we’re on the subject of wish lists, the Korean journalists asked Markus Bauer, vice president of BMW’s mid and large-sized segment, to consider a car with trunk space that fits four “large” golf bags. He didn’t answer, but perhaps we’ll see some progress on that yet.
Going back to the test drive, the Gran Turismo was a bit trickier because the car, being the size it is ― more than 5 meters long ― proved to be a challenge. In “sport” mode, the GT proved its worth, going like a shot with the engine responding aggressively with every touch of the pedal.
The new BMW 5 Series is to be launched in Korea in September, so we’ll see if the 530d will make a grand entrance yet. The GT, meanwhile, is said to be most popular in China.
By Kim Ji-hyun, Korea Herald correspondent
(
jemmie@heraldcorp.com)
