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By
JOHN CRAWFORD
10 December 2007
It's mid morning, midweek, and our location is the Burke and
Wills track west of Melbourne. Whilst the location is iconic Australian,
the car is endemically German.
It's a BMW 520d, and is the latest effort by BMW to create a
‘new’ model for its Australian lineup from the immense menu of
bodies, powertrains, components and options offered by head
office.
Although BMW was (relatively) late to the Australian market
with diesels, its offerings are benchmarks of best practice. This
new sedan is no exception. A quick glance at the specifications
and you might opine it could be a bit gutless, and although a fuel
miser. It might not be a car you'd consider. On that superficial
basis, you'd be wrong to ignore it.
The 520d receives a brand new all-aluminum, second-generation
turbo-diesel, with third-generation common-rail technology. The
new four-cylinder diesel engine weighs 20 kg less than the engine
it replaces (in Europe) and develops 10 kW more power. When you
mate this highly-efficient engine with a kerb weight of just
1,520kg for the 520d sedan; it’s obvious why the car performs so
well. Mated to a superb six-speed auto, it’s a delight to drive.
The 520d is an outstanding car for today's motoring environment
too, in fact it's good for the environment overall. Not only is it
a fuel miser (6.1 L/100km); but its carbon footprint is light (162
grams/km), and yet it offers an impressive combination of
excellent performance and great cruising ability. It's also very
well equipped.
As we motor through the beautiful and bucolic Victorian
countryside we are amazed at the car's competence as a cruiser.
Handling is precise and responsive, the engine noise remarkably
low, and the cabin offers not only high equipment levels, but even
the formidably controversial iDrive seems to have improved with
age.
Priced at $79,900 the 520d is no compromise car in the premium
car sector. It's not a 'stripped' model, nor is it a 'price
leader'. It offers all the bells and whistle you want, and whilst
no-one would expect a diesel sedan to rip up the bitumen with
acceleration, the 520d will prove to be a deceptively fast
point-to-point car.
Although BMW Australia is cautiously predicting annual sales of
around 200 units, we believe this car will be a ‘sleeper’ and
could surprise everyone, including BMW Australia. The equipment
includes eight airbags, the usual array of acronyms (ABS, DSC, DBC
and ASC+T), 16-inch alloy wheels, leather, colour display with
radio/CD/sat nav/Bluetooth, and an iPod/USB connector. Plus, there’s
a multi-function steering wheel, on-board computer, and power
adjustment for front seat backrest angle and height.
We do have to take issue with the interior wood trim, described
by BMW as Bamboo Grain with high-gloss lacquer. Actually it looked
to us like a 3-year old painted it using an old paintbrush with
stiff bristles, and then it was lacquered by mistake. There are
other choices, thankfully.
Summing up, this is a well-equipped luxury sedan, with
impressive fuel economy and carbon emissions, which cruises very
comfortably and capably, and delivers BMW’s famed dynamic
driving characteristics. What’s not to like?
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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