Use of 48V mild hybrid tech expanded across BMW line-up

MUNICH: BMW is freshening up its upper-middle-class models, with 48V mild hybrid tech arriving under the bonnet of the 5 Series Sedan, the 5 Series Touring and the 6 Series Gran Turismo.

Going on sale in Europe in July, the 5 Series and 6 Series upgrades will also come with a retouched design, most noticeably a larger grille and tweaked lights, BMW has announced.

There'll also be an expanded range of equipment with new assistance and infotainment functions, including cloud-based navigation and a digital cockpit now featured as standard, the German carmaker says.

Needless to say, the most significant advancement is the 48-volt mild hybrid system, now featured in all four and six-cylinder engines.

Here, a compact electric motor is paired with a petrol or diesel engine and used to supply extra power when needed, for example when the car pulls away from a standstill or during fierce acceleration, both of which consume more fuel than cruising at regular speeds.

In this instance, BMW is using an 8-kW electric motor and a lithium-ion buffer battery to save fuel costs, give an extra boost to acceleration and also to recover more energy when braking.

According to BMW, the overall result is a faster sprint and better efficiency. For those who want to drive purely on battery, even if just for a short while, BMW says you'll be able to opt for a plug-in hybrid version of the 5 Series Touring.

Prices in BMW's European home market start at €49,100 (RM235,000) for the 5-series sedan and €51,300 (RM245,300) for the Touring estate. The coupe-like 6 Series Gran Turismo will cost upwards of €62,800 (RM300,290).

The 48-volt mild hybrid technology was first introduced in selected model variants of the 5 Series in autumn 2019. This was followed by the 3 Series models and several X models. From July and August 2020, it will be available as standard in 37 further model variants of the 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series and 7 Series as well as the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7. All in all it will ensure efficiency and dynamic performance in 51 current BMW models.