BMW ActiveHybrid 5
BMW ActiveHybrid 5 is a hybrid version of BMW’s 5-series executive saloon. Essentially it’s an electrified 535i. So if the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 is a 535i with added electrical oomph, presumably it’s not slow?
No it isn’t. While local rival Audi uses an electric motor to boost the power of its 2.0T engine, BMW prefers to mate its hybrid powerpack to more powerful petrol engines. The theory is that smaller petrol engines are already very efficient (so the gains would be negligible) and those who can actually afford this expensive technology aren’t the sort to want a four-banger under the bonnet.
In the ActiveHybrid 5 that means a 3.0-litre straight six, with two twin-scroll turbochargers. The 535i’s output is already 302bhp and 295lb ft, but with an electric motor helping out, those figures are pushed to peaks of 335bhp and 332lb ft. There’s no difference in the 0-62mph time though – it remains at 5.9 seconds.
Rather than a Lexus-style CVT gearbox, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 has an eight-speed automatic into which the 40kW electric motor is integrated. The lithium-ion batteries sit behind the rear seats and cut boot space. All of this adds 150kg to the kerbweight of a 535i, but at least in the official NEDC test, the ability to run for 2.4 miles on electric power improves the figures from 37.2mpg and 177g/km to 44.1mpg and 149g/km CO2. The price for all of this is 15% more in most countries, except Thailand, than the price of a standard 535i.
The unsung hero here is the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, which makes the most of the available energy. In contrast to the Prius’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, there’s no droning or sluggishness during acceleration. We did experience an occasional stumble leaving a stoplight—like two draft horses momentarily out of step—but with full pressure on the throttle, this BMW gathers up its 4360-pound skirts and charges for the horizon like a ravenous Wile E. Coyote. The run to 60 mph lasts only 5.6 seconds, although that’s 0.2 second longer than in the lighter, gas-powered 535i equipped with an automatic transmission. These two BMWs finish the quarter-mile in a dead 14.0-second heat; by then, the hybrid is pulling away from its gasoline-only counterpart.
The ActiveHybrid gas-mileage reward compared with that of a 535i with a manual or an automatic transmission is a paltry 3 mpg in city driving (23 versus 20 mpg in EPA testing). There is no difference on the highway, however, where 30 mpg is common to all three six-cylinder 5-series models; the hybrid’s combined mpg is 26 versus 24 mpg for the others. That means you’d have to drive this BMW more than 600,000 miles to save enough on fuel to pay for the ActiveHybrid system’s extra cost in most countries. That’s a dubious proposition, particularly when you consider that we recorded 22 mpg in all-around driving with and without benefit of the hybrid system.
At least the ActiveHybrid 5 acts for the most part exactly like any other BMW equipped with an automatic transmission with little evidence anything weird is afoot. There is no hint of electrical whir or whine even during the three engine-off modes. The first is automatic shutdown of the combustion process at stoplights to save fuel and commotion. During coasting in what BMW calls Eco Pro mode, the engine also plays dead; it’s decoupled from the rest of the driveline so the electric motor can provide a controlled amount of deceleration concurrently with recharging the battery pack (a.k.a. regen). And with a light foot on the throttle, you can creep forward on pure electric power up to 37 mph for short distances.
A compound meter at the bottom of the tachometer display keeps the driver in touch with the hybrid 5’s electric soul. The center portion of this blue arc reports the battery pack’s state of charge. During regen, the amount of energy converted from unwanted momentum to electrical charge is indicated by three blue arrows curving up and to the right. When you’re edging forward using only the electric motor for propulsion, four arrows pointing left illuminate in sequence to encourage moderate pressure on the accelerator.
Proving that adding weight to a car imposes penalties, the ActiveHybrid 5 doesn’t stop as well as the conventional 535i, but at least the integration of friction and electrical braking is seamless and free of hitches or notches in brake-pedal feel. Interior noise levels are lower at idle in the hybrid, although that advantage disappears during acceleration and cruising.
Another sacrifice to consider is that the ActiveHybrid 5’s rear seatback doesn’t fold to accommodate bulky cargo or open to provide a pass-through for ski poles and plumbing materials. The available space with the power unit positioned forward in the trunk compartment against the seatback is 13.2 cubic feet versus 14.0 cubic feet in a conventional 5-series.
Conclusion: Even though the ActiveHybrid 5 won’t make cents to most shoppers in other countries, here in Thailand the ActiveHybrid 5 makes a lot of sence if you want the power of the 535i. Here the ActiveHybrid 5 is 5 half the price of the 535i because of the tax advantages of hybrids here in Thailand. Here you get all the power of the 535i at almost half the price of the regular 535i. BMW deserves credit for honoring its EfficientDynamics priorities here. This 5-series barely earns a passing grade in heightened efficiency, but it delivers excellent driving dynamics in spite of heavy burdens—saving the planet, toting cumbersome batteries, hauling two power sources—heaped onto its shoulders. It is still an expensive car, but a good deal if you want a premium car this powerfull in Thailand.
No it isn’t. While local rival Audi uses an electric motor to boost the power of its 2.0T engine, BMW prefers to mate its hybrid powerpack to more powerful petrol engines. The theory is that smaller petrol engines are already very efficient (so the gains would be negligible) and those who can actually afford this expensive technology aren’t the sort to want a four-banger under the bonnet.
In the ActiveHybrid 5 that means a 3.0-litre straight six, with two twin-scroll turbochargers. The 535i’s output is already 302bhp and 295lb ft, but with an electric motor helping out, those figures are pushed to peaks of 335bhp and 332lb ft. There’s no difference in the 0-62mph time though – it remains at 5.9 seconds.
Rather than a Lexus-style CVT gearbox, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 has an eight-speed automatic into which the 40kW electric motor is integrated. The lithium-ion batteries sit behind the rear seats and cut boot space. All of this adds 150kg to the kerbweight of a 535i, but at least in the official NEDC test, the ability to run for 2.4 miles on electric power improves the figures from 37.2mpg and 177g/km to 44.1mpg and 149g/km CO2. The price for all of this is 15% more in most countries, except Thailand, than the price of a standard 535i.
The unsung hero here is the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, which makes the most of the available energy. In contrast to the Prius’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, there’s no droning or sluggishness during acceleration. We did experience an occasional stumble leaving a stoplight—like two draft horses momentarily out of step—but with full pressure on the throttle, this BMW gathers up its 4360-pound skirts and charges for the horizon like a ravenous Wile E. Coyote. The run to 60 mph lasts only 5.6 seconds, although that’s 0.2 second longer than in the lighter, gas-powered 535i equipped with an automatic transmission. These two BMWs finish the quarter-mile in a dead 14.0-second heat; by then, the hybrid is pulling away from its gasoline-only counterpart.
The ActiveHybrid gas-mileage reward compared with that of a 535i with a manual or an automatic transmission is a paltry 3 mpg in city driving (23 versus 20 mpg in EPA testing). There is no difference on the highway, however, where 30 mpg is common to all three six-cylinder 5-series models; the hybrid’s combined mpg is 26 versus 24 mpg for the others. That means you’d have to drive this BMW more than 600,000 miles to save enough on fuel to pay for the ActiveHybrid system’s extra cost in most countries. That’s a dubious proposition, particularly when you consider that we recorded 22 mpg in all-around driving with and without benefit of the hybrid system.
At least the ActiveHybrid 5 acts for the most part exactly like any other BMW equipped with an automatic transmission with little evidence anything weird is afoot. There is no hint of electrical whir or whine even during the three engine-off modes. The first is automatic shutdown of the combustion process at stoplights to save fuel and commotion. During coasting in what BMW calls Eco Pro mode, the engine also plays dead; it’s decoupled from the rest of the driveline so the electric motor can provide a controlled amount of deceleration concurrently with recharging the battery pack (a.k.a. regen). And with a light foot on the throttle, you can creep forward on pure electric power up to 37 mph for short distances.
A compound meter at the bottom of the tachometer display keeps the driver in touch with the hybrid 5’s electric soul. The center portion of this blue arc reports the battery pack’s state of charge. During regen, the amount of energy converted from unwanted momentum to electrical charge is indicated by three blue arrows curving up and to the right. When you’re edging forward using only the electric motor for propulsion, four arrows pointing left illuminate in sequence to encourage moderate pressure on the accelerator.
Proving that adding weight to a car imposes penalties, the ActiveHybrid 5 doesn’t stop as well as the conventional 535i, but at least the integration of friction and electrical braking is seamless and free of hitches or notches in brake-pedal feel. Interior noise levels are lower at idle in the hybrid, although that advantage disappears during acceleration and cruising.
Another sacrifice to consider is that the ActiveHybrid 5’s rear seatback doesn’t fold to accommodate bulky cargo or open to provide a pass-through for ski poles and plumbing materials. The available space with the power unit positioned forward in the trunk compartment against the seatback is 13.2 cubic feet versus 14.0 cubic feet in a conventional 5-series.
Conclusion: Even though the ActiveHybrid 5 won’t make cents to most shoppers in other countries, here in Thailand the ActiveHybrid 5 makes a lot of sence if you want the power of the 535i. Here the ActiveHybrid 5 is 5 half the price of the 535i because of the tax advantages of hybrids here in Thailand. Here you get all the power of the 535i at almost half the price of the regular 535i. BMW deserves credit for honoring its EfficientDynamics priorities here. This 5-series barely earns a passing grade in heightened efficiency, but it delivers excellent driving dynamics in spite of heavy burdens—saving the planet, toting cumbersome batteries, hauling two power sources—heaped onto its shoulders. It is still an expensive car, but a good deal if you want a premium car this powerfull in Thailand.
More Test drives: 2theRedline BMW 5 series by CarBuyers Interior The Hybrid instruments LiveLifeDrive
We recommend the following options to make the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 even better:M Sport package containing:
19” BMW M light alloy wheels, 19'' Double-spoke style 351 M, front 8.5 J x 19” with 245/40 R19, rear 9 J x 19” with 275/35 R19 run-flat safety tyres
BMW Individual High-Gloss Shadow Line
BMW Individual roofliner Anthracite
BMW Sport Seats for driver and front passenger
Door sill finishers with M designation (ActiveHybrid 5 retains ActiveHybrid door sill finishers)
Exhaust pipes in dark chrome
M Aerodynamics Package
M leather steering wheel
M sport suspension (not for ActiveHybrid 5)
and one of the following
Dakota leather Veneto Beige | Black Dakota leather Cinnamon Brown | Black with exclusive stitching Dakota leather Veneto Beige | Black with exclusive stitching Dakota leather Black | Black with exclusive stitching Dakota leather Black | Black Dakota leather Oyster | Black with exclusive stitching
Interior trim, Aluminium Hexagon or one of the following
Interior trim, Fine brushed Aluminium Interior trim, Fine-wood Ash Grain Brown Interior trim, Fine-wood trim 'Fineline' anthracite Interior trim, fine-wood Fineline light Interior trim, Fine-wood trim ash grain brown with inlays Interior trim, Pearl Dark Interior trim, Aluminium fabric surface effect Interior trim, Black High-Gloss
19” BMW M light alloy wheels, 19'' Double-spoke style 351 M, front 8.5 J x 19” with 245/40 R19, rear 9 J x 19” with 275/35 R19 run-flat safety tyres
BMW Individual High-Gloss Shadow Line
BMW Individual roofliner Anthracite
BMW Sport Seats for driver and front passenger
Door sill finishers with M designation (ActiveHybrid 5 retains ActiveHybrid door sill finishers)
Exhaust pipes in dark chrome
M Aerodynamics Package
M leather steering wheel
M sport suspension (not for ActiveHybrid 5)
and one of the following
Dakota leather Veneto Beige | Black Dakota leather Cinnamon Brown | Black with exclusive stitching Dakota leather Veneto Beige | Black with exclusive stitching Dakota leather Black | Black with exclusive stitching Dakota leather Black | Black Dakota leather Oyster | Black with exclusive stitching
Interior trim, Aluminium Hexagon or one of the following
Interior trim, Fine brushed Aluminium Interior trim, Fine-wood Ash Grain Brown Interior trim, Fine-wood trim 'Fineline' anthracite Interior trim, fine-wood Fineline light Interior trim, Fine-wood trim ash grain brown with inlays Interior trim, Pearl Dark Interior trim, Aluminium fabric surface effect Interior trim, Black High-Gloss