BMW 530D – Clean Diesel Power & Muscle Car
Gone are the days when diesels are smoky, smelly, noisy and underpowered. The latest common rail diesels that are fitted into vehicles use a fuel injection system very similar to the fuel injection systems used in gasoline powered cars. The mechanical plunger pump that supplies pressurized diesel to individual nozzles is now replaced with a high-pressure fuel pump that supplies fuel to a common ‘fuel rail’. Connected to this fuel rail are the individual injectors to each of the engine cylinders. The fuel is therefore, just waiting at the threshold of the cylinders, and squirt out into the combustion chamber at the command of the electronic engine control unit (ECU). This method of fuel injection is far more efficient than the mechanical fuel pump/plunger system. In addition, the common rail diesel system also includes a turbo charger that forces air into the cylinders to increase the volumetric efficiency. The result is a much higher output per cubic centimeter of engine displacement, enormous torque, a much cleaner burn, a quieter engine, and better mileage per litre of fuel.
A litre of gasoline currently retails at around one Euro, (about RM4.60), and it looks like there is likely to be a further increase following the recent 5 sen adjustment. Now is the time that Malaysians should start looking at diesels, especially those that belong to the new generation of common rail diesels. BMW’s latest 530 series, gives the Malaysian car buyer a choice. You can opt for either a petrol driven 5-series, with a whole bunch of engine capacities to suit your power needs, or you can just take the 3.0 litre V6 diesel turbo (530D).
“What’s so good about the diesel,” you may ask. You might also have some doubts about the smelly and smoky exhaust fumes so often associated with diesel engines too. Well, the new diesels are a different breed altogether. They burn cleaner, (and therefore smoke less,) and are just as powerful if not more powerful than their gasoline counterparts. (The new system of fuel delivery is more precise than the mechanical diesel injection pump system; proper and precise metering of the fuel getting into the combustion chamber results in a cleaner burn) The turbo charger attached will ensure that the fuel gets more than enough oxygen to burn up more completely, by forcing air into the chamber under pressure.
The 3.0 litre engine that is in the BMW 530D delivers a massive 142 kW of power, and develops a hefty 410 Nm of torque, enough power to propel you from zero to 100 kph in 8.5 seconds, a highly respectable time for a car that weighs in at 1.7 tonnes. Top speed is an impressive 225 kph (which we verified during our very pleasurable test drive recently).
When you drive a 3.0 litre gasoline powered car, you would expect the cost per kilometre to be close to 20 or more sen, but with the 530D, you can half that. In fact one of the most pleasant experiences you can have is going into the petrol station (or should it be called the diesel station?), and pay less than RM50.00 for a full tank of diesel; after that you get a very nice feeling when the on-board computer tells you that your vehicle can (in theory) go for 700 or more kilometers before you need to refuel. (Actual range will vary, depending on how hard you drive, but a range of at least 500 km is possible even if you drive at full throttle all the time.
Of course, when you buy a BMW 530D, you get, first of all, a BMW; the 530D is a variant of the latest BMW 5-series, and comes with all the trappings and features of the 5-series. Other than the size, (the 5-series is bigger than the 3-series, and smaller than the 7-series) the 530D comes with plush leather seats, rain sensor, light sensor, electrically controlled seats, more airbags than I can count, an on-board ‘I-drive’ computer that can give all sorts of travel information, and a first class audio system. And, yes, there is that distinctive kidney shaped grille and BMW badges placed where nobody can miss it.
In the performance department, the engine, as mentioned earlier, delivers; traction control and the BMW Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) are very much a part of the overall package, as is ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), and EBD. Suspension parts are specially tuned for sporty handling. Steering is ‘active’, which means that the wheels respond more at low and parking speeds so that you do not have to turn the steering wheel as much. At high speeds the steering ratio changes so that the steering is not become ‘twitchy’.
We had the opportunity to take the car all the way to Penang and back. Using a mixture of highway and main trunk roads, we put the car to the test. On the north-South Highway, the one word we would use to sum it up is ‘Superb’. It just eats up the miles without any problem, and the enormous torque, working through the 6-speed automatic box, just whisks you through from standstill to high-speed cruising with ease. You can hold 180 kph all day with no problem at all. If you so wish, you can use the Steptronic option to do manual shifting.
The cabin is quiet, and you can carry out an intelligent conversation even at speed. Straight-line stability is excellent, and the suspension evens out the bumps. On the main trunk roads, overtaking is a breeze with the immense power waiting to spring out on demand, and handling is so good that you forget you are in a large sedan.
If you have RM428, 000 to spend, then the BMW 530D is a very good package for consideration. After the initial hole it makes in your pocket (not that it matters to those who have rather large ones), the cost per kilometre represents some great savings. The cream at the top is of course the immense power on tap.
