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BMW India has made some changes to the 5 Series in India, which sees the 530d variant being discontinued and the M Sport trim now offered with the BMW 520d luxury line520d instead of the earlier Luxury Line. This means that the BMW 520d M-Sport is only available in the 530i M Sport and the 520d M Sport variants.
The BMW 530d was powered by a…
BMW India has made some changes to the 5 Series in India, which sees the 530d variant being discontinued and the M Sport trim now offered with the BMW 520d luxury line520d instead of the earlier Luxury Line. This means that the BMW 520d M-Sport is only available in the 530i M Sport and the 520d M Sport variants.
The BMW 530d was powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel making 265bhp and 620Nm of torque. With the discontinuation, however, the only diesel variant offered with the 5 Series is the 520d which uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor producing 190bhp and 400Nm of torque. The 5 Series is now only available with four-cylinder motors in India, with the 530i M Sport utilising a 2.0-litre four-pot which makes 252bhp and 250Nm of torque.
The BMW 520d M-Sport is now offered with the M Sport trim, instead of the earlier Luxury Line. The M Sport gives the car a sportier look, with different fore and aft bumpers, 18-inch alloys, chrome tip exhausts, blue-brake callipers and M-badging. The features list now gets BMW Laserlight, HUD, Harman Kardon audio, a 360-degree camera and a wireless smartphone charger.
The changes to the 5 Series models are a precursor to the new-gen, which is set to arrive next year. The 2024 BMW 520d M-Sport Series for India will arrive with the long-wheelbase variant only, to take on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class which has a longer wheelbase, hence a roomier space for the rear-seat occupants.
BMW 520d M-Sport line competes against the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6, Lexus ES, Volvo S90 and the Jaguar XF in the Indian market. But the 520d M Sport rivals the Jaguar XF and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which are the only other saloons to have a diesel engine option.
The tan and wood theme of our car looks and feels rich, and general quality is segment-leading as always, but sportier options are also available with the M Sport variants. These cars also get the more snug sport front seats. Although the standard seats get lumbar support with this update, we would have also liked to see extendable squabs and a ventilation function.
Other tech on the BMW 520d luxury line includes gesture control, voice assistant and reversing assistant which works with a very useful 360-degree camera set-up. No connected-tech though, although the display key does add remote start and cooling functionality, as well as the remote park feature.
There’s not much in how the suspension behaves in the Comfort, Sport or Adaptive settings in regular use. Although in the most aggressive mode, the BMW 520d M-Sport seems fully committed to its heritage. The little float we complained of largely disappears but with no real hit to ride comfort. There’s quite a bit of heft and precision added to the steering wheel, and around a winding road, the typically balanced, light-footed agility that you expect in a BMW is quite apparent. There is a touch of roll here but it’s progressive and predictable.
A spirited drive also highlights the only real drawback to the BMW 520d luxury line’s driving experience. In daily use, the 2.0-litre diesel is quiet and largely goes about its business unassumingly, leaving little cause for complaint. There’s enough shove when you need it, either for overtakes or for a calm highway cruise. But wring it out and the relatively low 190PS power output and the narrow band in which the substantial 400 Nm torque is available becomes highlighted.
The eight-speed ZF is as intuitive here as anywhere else but the narrow powerband leaves it swapping gear more often than you’d wish for. But the pay-off here is the impressive efficiency figures. We suspect the 530i MSport with its higher outputs and M-tuned suspension may be the pick for the driving enthusiast with a similar budget.