New Range-Topping Hybrid BMW 545e xDrive

Yet another hybrid BMW, this time with a 3.0-litre straight-six engine!

If the 530e and 530e xDrive aren’t exciting enough for you, then the new 545e was essentially made for you!

BMW’s brand new, range-topping hybrid offers more power than the other PHEV 5 Series cars, with a grand total of around 394 bhp. Although pricing and release dates are yet to be confirmed, we do know enough about the 545e to know that it’s going to be pretty cool.

One thing BMW has given up is its 0-62mph time, which stands at around 4.7 seconds. Rather good for a car that likely weighs around 2.2 tons, given that it’s around the weight of the existing 530e xDrive.

As with most luxury PHEVs, this new flagship 5 Series hybrid has a small electric-only range of 33-35 miles but is likely less in the real-world. However, when the almost-full-fat 3.0-litre inline 6 engine is working with the 12 kWh battery, the car is said to be able to achieve around 117 – 135 miles per gallon!

The release of yet another plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is a testament to BMW’s commitment to the electrification of their vehicles. BMW have a 10-year plan for sustainability where they have pledged to reduce their emissions footprint by one third on a per-vehicle basis by 2030. Quite an ambitious goal to be sure, yet it gets more ambitious when you learn they also aim to reduce supply chain emissions by 20% as well! Furthermore, all BMW production facilities will also be using 100% renewable energy by the end of this year.

So, it makes sense that BMW are introducing the 3rd hybrid (powertrain) version of their new 5 Series and it makes even more sense when you realise that the 5 Series plug-in hybrids were the most successful electrified models in BMW’s whole portfolio in 2019, selling nearly 50,000 units worldwide.

With all the luxuries of the 5 Series saloon, paired with a decently-powerful battery producing a maximum of 109 hp and an efficient 3.0-litre petrol straight-six engine with TwinPower Turbo Technology that produces 286 hp, the 545e has luxury, efficiency and that BMW engaging driver’s experience in one package. Power is delivered to all four wheels thanks to BMW xDrive and with an 8-speed Steptronic transmission the ride will be smooth and quick when you need it.

All of this equates to the BMW 545e being the ‘most dynamic’ of all of their 6-cylinder hybrids. If all of that still isn’t enough for you, perhaps knowing that the Start/Stop button sound was created by the one and only Hans Zimmer will impress you! Upon startup, the driver will be treated to a bespoke sound composed by the world-renowned Zimmer himself that was ‘designed to trigger joyful anticipation of the electric drive’. It may not be quite as tantalizing as the score from Inception or The Dark Knight but it’s certainly a cool little feature.

Let us know what you think of the new hybrid 5 Series in the comments!

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