BMW goes for more PHEVs in 3 Series & 5 Series
BMW is expanding its plug-in hybrid range for the 3 Series and 5 Series by two additional models each from March. The 320e and 520e will be added to the saloon portfolio and Touring versions of both model series. In Germany, prices will range between 47,450 and 55,900 euros before subsidies.
In the BMW 3 Series, there will thus be four PHEV models to choose from in future, three of which will also be optionally available with BMW xDrive all-wheel drive. The BMW 5 Series will then comprise five PHEV models, three of which will have all-wheel drive as standard or as an option.
The Munich-based company describes the new vehicles as future entry-level variants. They have in common the plug-in hybrid system with 150 kW system output and 350 Nm torque, which is made up of a 2.0-litre internal combustion engine with 120 kW and an electric motor.
The two engines transmit their drive torque via an 8-speed gearbox to the rear wheels or, in the all-wheel-drive variants, to all four wheels. The battery of all plug-in hybrid models in the new BMW 3 Series and new BMW 5 Series is stowed under the rear seat bench. It has a gross energy content of 12 kWh. In purely electric driving mode, both model series’s new PHEVs can reach a top speed of 140 km/h.
The following performance data and prices also apply to the individual models: The 320e sedan has an electric range of 48 to 57 kilometres according to WLTP, a top speed of 225 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. The manufacturer puts fuel consumption at 1.8 to 1.3 litres/100 km (combined), electricity consumption at 18.1 to 16.1 kWh/100 km (combined) and CO2 emissions at 41 to 29 g/km (all figures according to WLTP). The sales price in Germany starts at 47,450 euros, including VAT.
For the 320e Touring and 320e xDrive Touring, BMW quotes an electric range of 46 to 54 kilometres for the former and 41 to 51 kilometres for the latter. While the rear-wheel-drive model gets to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and can go up to 220 km/h, the all-wheel-drive model’s analogous figures are 8.2 seconds and 219 km/h. The combined fuel consumption is 1.9 to 1.4 litres/100 km (320e) or 2.2 to 1.5 litres/100 km (320e xDrive), the combined electricity consumption 18.6 to 16.7 kWh/100 km (320e) or 19.5 to 17.3 kWh/100 km (320e xDrive) and the combined CO2 emissions 44 to 32 g/km (320e) or 49 to 35 g/km (320e xDrive). In Germany, BMW is asking 49,000 euros for the former and 51,500 euros for the latter.
Let’s move on to the 520e sedan: it drives 46 to 55 kilometres purely electrically, sprints to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds and reaches a speed of up to 225 km/h. According to the manufacturer, the combined fuel consumption of the 520e and the 520e xDrive is between 49 and 55 kilometres. According to the manufacturer, the combined fuel consumption is 1.8 to 1.3 litres/100 km, the combined electricity consumption 18.2 to 16.3 kWh/100 km and the combined CO2 emissions 41 to 30 g/km. The PHEV sedan is available for 53,700 euros.
That leaves the BMW 520e Touring, which, according to BMW, achieves 45 to 51 electric kilometres, completes the standard sprint in 8.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 218 km/h. The model consumes 1.9 to 51 kWh/100 km. The model consumes 1.9 to 1.5 litres of fuel/100 km, 18.4 to 17.0 kWh of electricity/100 km and emits 43 to 34 g CO2/km. Cost in Germany: 55 900 euros.
All models come standard with two charging cables that can power the battery at conventional household sockets, wall boxes or public charging stations. With a maximum charging power of 3.7 kW, the high-voltage battery can be charged from 0 to 80 per cent in 2.6 hours and from 0 to 100 per cent in 3.6 hours. Depending on the model, the boot capacity is 375 to 430 litres; in the Touring models, the storage space can be extended to 1,560 litres. The maximum permissible towing capacity is 1,500 kilograms for the BMW 3 Series models and 1,700 kilograms for the BMW 5 Series models.
The quartet qualifies for the 50 per cent reduction in company car taxation and meets the requirements for a combined subsidy of 6,750 euros for the 320e variants and 5,625 euros for the 520e versions. In Germany, prices after subsidies start at 40,700 euros (320e) or 48,075 euros (520e).
BMW also provides customers with the so-called Live Cockpit Plus including Connected Package Professional as standard equipment – and thus access to digital services, some specially designed for electric mobility. These include BMW eDrive Zone for emission-free driving in specially defined zones (“geofencing”) and BMW Points, a reward programme for intensive use of locally emission-free mobility. Points collected can then be converted into a credit redeemed when charging the high-voltage battery at public BMW Charging stations.
Also on board are modern assistance systems, including the “Active Pedestrian Protection” system, a specific shift programme for the 8-speed transmission including brake downshifts and automatic climate control (with extended features on the 520e models).
From March onwards, the BMW Group will offer 15 BMW brand models and one Mini model with plug-in hybrid drive. By 2023, the Munich-based company aims to have 25 electrified vehicles in its portfolio. For the 2021 financial year, the Group is also aiming to increase vehicles’ sales with electrified drive by around 50 per cent compared to 2020.
With reporting by Cora Werwitzke.
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