2012 BMW 5-Series Revised With Turbo In-line Four Engines For 520i & 528i

BMW Malaysia has officially introduced new four-cylinder petrol engines for the 2012 BMW 5-Series in the 520i and 528i M Sport. The transition from naturally-aspirated in-line six-cylinder engines to turbocharged in-line four-cylinder units has brought a price reduction for each of the variant involved: the 520i is priced at RM 358,800 and the 528i M Sport at RM 409,800, lower than the RM 383,800 523i and the RM 449,800 528i respectively replaced. The 520d remains priced at RM 333,800.

Decked out with a host of the latest engine technologies like twin-scroll turbocharging, direct injection, Valvetronic variable valve control and Double-Vanos variable camshaft control, Munich's all-new N20 four-cylinder engine is available in two different outputs. The N20 made its debut in the BMW X1 before introduction in the all-new BMW 3-Series, which has yet to make its way to Malaysia, and now the 5-Series. Also standard across the three-variant 5-Series range are BMW EfficientDynamics features including brake energy regeneration, electromechanical steering and automatic engine start-stop function.

The N20 engine in the 520i produces 184 HP at 5000 rpm and 270 Nm between 1250–4500 rpm, benchmarked almost identically to the 181 HP, 270 Nm 1.8-litre in the Mercedes E200 CGI. The 520i, BMW claims, does the century sprint in 8.0 seconds, with enough reserves to reach 226 km/h. Better still, the combination of an eight-speed automatic gearbox and the EfficientDynamics features keeps the fuel consumption low at 15.6 km/litre and emissions equally low at 149 grams/km.

The 528i M Sport gets a markedly more powerful N20 engine with 245 HP between 5000–6000 rpm and 350 Nm between 1250–4800 rpm—a big advantage over the E250 CGI's 1.8-litre with 204 HP and 310 Nm. And the extra horses on tap show on the road: the 528i dashes from zero to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds, before hitting a limited 250 km/h, all the while just consuming 14.7 km/litre and emitting a mere 158 grams/km.

The best case for modern diesel power comes in the form of the 520d, whose excellent performance is overshadowed by its mightily impressive efficiency. The turbocharged 2.0-litre N47 four-cylinder engine's 184 HP and 380 Nm propel the 520d from rest to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds, before reaching 225 km/h. What really sets the 520d apart is its 21.3 km/litre fuel economy and 123 grams/km emissions.

In place of the previous Dynamic Driving Control, the new Driving Experience Control, triggered via a button on the centre console, enables the driver to select mode settings for the 5-Series' accelerator, engine, steering response, transmission mapping, suspension system and traction control. The revised modes include Comfort+, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and the new Eco Pro, replacing the Comfort, Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes. Depending on your driving style, the Eco Pro mode improves fuel economy by up to 20 percent. Enjoy the 2012 BMW 5-Series official gallery below!