BMW has announced pricing for the 2017 530e iPerformance and the M550i xDrive. Both of these variants of the G30 5 Series—which is making its world premiere today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit—are the first models of their i-type in a 5 Series sedan.
The first of the new seventh-generation 5 Series expected to arrive at BMW dealers next month will be the 2017 BMW 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, and 540i xDrive Sedans. The 530e iPerformance and M550i xDrive should be available later this spring.
The BMW 530e, which is the fourth BMW iPerformance model to be offered in the U.S., will be available in both sDrive rear-wheel drive and xDrive all-wheel drive versions. The rear-wheel drive 2017 BMW 530e iPerformance will have a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $51,400, while the xDrive version will start at $53,700. BMW will tack on a $995 destination and handling fee on both of these, as they do with every vehicle they sell here.
The 530e's four-cylinder, two-liter TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine is mated to an electric motor before the total power goes through the eight-speed automatic transmission and then sent either to the rear wheels only in sDrive versions, or to all wheels using xDrive. Combined system output of the hybrid drivetrain is 248 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, which is enough to send the 530e sDrive from zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.0 seconds. The xDrive version will do it in 5.8 seconds. Fuel mileage estimates have not been announced, but expect them to be significantly better than the 530i and 540i and especially the M550i.
The 2017 BMW M550i xDrive will be the fastest G30 5 Series so far, but you pay for performance. The M550i will start at $72,100 plus the $995 destination and handling fee. For that price, new owners will get the first M Performance BMW powered by a specially modified M Performance TwinPower Turbo 4.4-liter eight-cylinder gasoline engine. The V8 sports two twin-scroll turbochargers and a High Precision Injection system, Valvetronic fully variable valve lift, and Double-VANOS variable camshaft timing control. All this adds up to 456 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. With this under the hood, the M550i xDrive will go from zero to 60 mph in only 3.9 seconds. It may not be a full-blown M5, but 3.9 seconds for an almost two-ton sedan is respectable in anybody's book. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 miles per hour.
The M550i's xDrive is programmed with a rear-wheel bias along with an M Performance suspension package for better handling. Combined with the M Performance engine, the M550i is the fastest and most agile G30 5 Series available and should satisfy the need for speed for most 5 Series enthusiasts, at least until a full-tilt M5 shows up at a significantly higher price.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
