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BMW invited us to review and test out the new G30 BMW 5 Series (520D) recently and instead of a simple run-around Singapore, they’ve asked us to bring it up to Kuala Lumpur and back. This was the first time we were asked to drive a car for such a distance, but there was a catch – there was to be no refueling.
When we got the email invitation, we initially thought that would be a stretch, and even though the new diesels models in BMW’s lineup have proven to be strong contenders in having great mileage, we’d imagine that a 5 Series wouldn’t have a similar outcome compared to a lighter model like the 1 Series. We’d imagined that we would be arriving back to the Singapore checkpoint with the fuel warning light on.
How wrong we would have been proven later.
Upon our arrival at Performance Motors, we were given a quick technical demonstration of the car and it’s updated features.
An all new iDrive console, a gorgeous digital dashboard as well as audio-gesture controls were welcomed updates and impressive. The controls were intuitive and easy to manage, and we didn’t have any difficulty in changing settings and getting settled in really quickly.
The digital key FOB with touch-screen 2.2-inch LCD display allowed us to view the 5’s technical health, control functions, range as well as setting climate controls at a certain time and date. I was getting fond of it before I even started the engine. The key can be recharged inside the 520D inductively (contact-free) by placing it in a special charging tray. It was pretty neat – considering the fact we would never be worried about the key running out of battery.
What struck me most was the ‘range’, which was now displayed at the fuel needle section. That was new. It almost seemed like BMW really wanted to let us know how far their diesel models would go.
Starting the 520D up..
Running through a quick check on Google maps, the distance from Singapore to KLCC was about 355km. Which honestly, wouldn’t be any problem driving up and back – give and take bad traffic that would affect my mileage. I’d guess-timated I would have had about 100-200KM left if I left directly for KL and back without any major detours.
First things first, I reset the odometer to 0.0km to track how much mileage I would have covered and back in this drive.
A direct drive to KL and back would have been all too easy, so I decided to make it a little bit more challenging by visiting one of my favorite haunts in Pontian, a sleepy quiet town in south-west Johor, off the coastline to taste the authentic ‘Pontian Wantan Noodles’. After all, a fair assessment would be to see how the 520D performed in real life scenarios that included in food stops.
It was off to our first stop to “Heng Heng Wantan Noodles” reportedly the store that started the entire Pontian Wantan Noodle chain business in Singapore.
The drive would take us about an hour and a half to get there and add on approximately 120km to our journey.
Crossing over into Malaysia took us about an hour, and what was surprising was that our indicative range kept increasing – we suspect it was due to the fact that we had traveled some distance on the highway heading to Pontian and range was starting to average out to the 520’s full potential.
Needless to say it was quite a nice feeling to know that the 520D was definitely proving itself to be more than capable and surprisingly refreshing.
The drive to Pontian was on bumpy, uneven B-roads thrown in with a couple of twisty areas and yet, the 520D was composed with minimal body roll, comfortable and was able to soak up all of the bumps and undulations in the roads with absolute ease. Steering was light yet firm, tight corners were taken with much confidence.
There were no jarring moments during the drive up and I never felt more comfortable arriving just in time for my brunch.
The Pontian Wantan noodles were pretty good – granted it was a 70km drive just for it!
Someone even ordered 20 packets of takeaway.
After 45 tummy-satisfying minutes, it was time to hit the road again.
Loading up the Waze GPS navigation app, it indicated that it would be another 3 hours and 319KM to our destination.
Driving out of Pontian was brisk, and even pretty scenic at some areas which did not look like Malaysia at all.
Pontian to Kuala Lumpur
While on the North-South Highway, the car kept a steady pace, and while there were moments I had to accelerate to overtake slower vehicles, there was never a real need to watch my driving style or to remain light-footed. Unlike most conventional ‘long range’ test that involved keeping to 90km/hr to maximize mileage and to save fuel…. was never part of the original plan.
I drove how I usually drove (i.e. enthusiastically), and never had to turn off the A/C or to try any funny tricks to extend mileage. The drive up to Kuala Lumpur was mostly uneventful, given it was a weekday afternoon – traffic was generally light as I entered the city boundaries.
Suddenly, a subtle ping…
Just as we were pulling into the city, the 520D sent out a quick reminder for us us to take a break, and a nice cup of steaming coffee.
Thankfully it was right about time when we pulled into Traders Hotel to check in about 4pm.
Funny enough, it was also at this time when a good friend of mine mentioned she was in Ara Damansara (in Petaling Jaya) at for a business meeting and I suggested to go for dinner to give reason to try to burn more fuel up in the process.
Unfortunately I failed to account for rush hour that was starting to build up quickly, and spent an hour and half in traffic trying to get out of KL to Ara Damansara. Traffic along Jalan Tun Razak was especially heavy and boy I was glad to be spending it in a very comfortable 5 series. Dinner was settled at Citta Mall @ Damansara, returning back to the hotel after dinner was less hectic at 11pm and I settled in quickly to rest for the drive back to Singapore the next day.
Up to this stage, I’ve covered over 500km getting to KL (Singapore > Pontian > Kuala Lumpur > Ara Damansara > Kuala Lumpur) and yet the tank still had a very healthy reserve of more than 1/2 tank left with 600km range to go. It was clearly obvious that I had underestimated what the 520D could do. Up to now, it recorded an average of 16.5km/l on average – a much respectable figure given the traffic and crawling speeds I had encountered the night before.
Kuala Lumpur back to Singapore…
Driving back to Singapore, I’ve decided to try out its various driving modes, primarily sport and eco-pro. Changing the driving modes switched the digital dashboard to different color coded layouts which were both easy and clear to understand. I questioned the need for eco-pro given it had already far exceeded my expectations of being fuel-economical by its very nature.
It wasn’t long before I pulled up to the sights of the Singapore Tuas checkpoints with more than 300km left on the fuel gauge, regrettably I wished I had pulled off into Malacca to hit one more food stop and pick up some additional snacks… I suppose it would have to be set for another day.
All in all, we covered over 820.4 km in a short span of 14 hours with an average of 16.2km/l.
Conclusion
The BMW 520D has a ridiculous amount of range to tackle and manage long road trips solo or with the family, all in plush comfort, quiet – and without tiring out its driver, and most importantly his(or her) wallet. With 400nm of torque, and way sufficient horsepower to easily lose your license in Singapore, coupled with all the internal comforts and tech features in-cabin, it’s an unforgettable ride that we’d highly, highly recommend to anyone. The BMW 520D currently retails for S$259,800 (as of writing).
The BMW 520D (Singapore Production) is currently (Diesel) Euro V standard. The Euro VI standard engine will be introduced from July 2017 production onwards.
Thanks to BMW Asia and Performance Motors Limited for sending us the BMW 520D for review!
BMW 520D (G30) Technical Specifications
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