Sporty Suit & Tie. The BMW 530i M Performance Review!

After getting behind the wheel of Munich’s seventh generation benchmark executive sedan for the past few days, it has definitely made me understood why the all-new G30 BMW 530i remains the ideal executive sedan of choice. Yes it may not have the most luxurious interior in its segment nor the most powerful engine compared to its rivals, but the all new G30 offers a more avant-garde approach to the entire package.

When I first collected the car and took it out for my very first drive, I wasn’t immediately blown away by the performance as the sporty aesthetics of our test car suggests. The car had an initial lag when it came to off-the-line acceleration which was of course a common trait of turbocharged vehicles, but this was especially pronounced due to the fact that I drove a 330e plug-in hybrid not too long ago which has seamless acceleration from its electric motors contributing to the instantaneous torque delivery.

Putting my high expectations aside, we left the the town and proceeded to some highway driving which was where the car revealed its high speed capabilities. Despite its modest 252 horsepower figure, you’ll easily pass the national speed limit even before you know it. The car’s 350Nm of torque also makes for effortless overtaking.

After a quick lunch stop I picked up a friend along the way and we decided to take a drive up Genting Highlands to properly try out the vehicle’s handling capabilities. Instead of the usual Karak route, you already know we had to take the alternative winding route through Ulu Yam and Batang Kali.

So you might ask what are my thoughts on the 530i’s handling. The chassis is really well sorted for an executive sedan where body roll is minimal and as expected, it comes with the familiar adaptive chassis with four driving modes which are individually customizable for different driving conditions. The optional set of 20 inch rims fitted on this car further contributed to the car’s high levels of grip, especially through the sharp bends and steep hairpin turns that made Genting Highlands popular among drivers.

As for the brakes, all I can say is that they’re amazing not only in terms of aesthetics with its blue painted M Sport brake calipers but also in terms of performance as there was hardly any fade coming down the steep winding roads of Genting Highlands. Giving the driver the confidence one would expect from a German premium executive sedan.

After the descent and on route home for the day, we were greeted with an unexpected downpour which was so heavy that it affected the BMW’s active safety system. The iDrive system displayed a message saying “Driving assistance restricted temporarily” which surprised me as I’ve never had issues with the driving assistance system found in the Volvo XC90 in a similar situation, whereby it was raining cats and dogs with minimal visibility.

The next day I planned a road trip with a few friends to Kuantan. Having picked them all up early in the dawn we were greeted by the inviting ambient lighting in the car. Adding to that are the adaptive LED headlamps which were really good in illuminating the dim roads ahead. When the sun came up the rear sunshades helped limit the sun rays from entering the cabin.

During the duration of the trip, various genres of music were being played through the 16 speakers Harman Kardon sound system. Even though the system is supposedly good and it definitely has the punch, for an audiophile like me who spends thousands of ringgit on my personal car stereo, I find the system lack polish especially in the mid-range whereby it requires more definition rather than blunt harsh treble and low end thump.

On route we also tried out the adaptive cruise control which worked really well, especially in stop and go traffic which takes some burden off of driving in congested areas. The 530i also comes with basic safety features such as Lane Departure Warning and Lane Change Warning where the steering wheel would vibrate should the car detect that its veering off its lane.

More advance safety features from the 530i would be the Approach Control Warning and Person Warning with City Brake function. If you are looking for the most advance driving assistance in the segment, you would have to check out the Volvo S90 which could steer for you for brief moments without hands on the wheel.

Eventually arriving in Kuantan we were greeted with overcast and windy weather, the sunroof came in perfect where we could enjoy the ocean breeze along Pantai Sepat. By evening time we left Kuantan with half a tank of fuel remaining and I decided to see if I could make it back home (roughly 255km away) with half a tank of fuel.

We finally made it back home with 90km left of range stated on the info display which really impressed me in terms of fuel efficiency. By looking at the trip computer we were averaging 10.9km per 100km/h, all achieved by using the adaptive cruise control as often as possible and with speed set at 110km/h on the highways.

So is this the executive sedan for you? At RM336,833,72 without GST I would personally say that this is a car totally worth considering if you are the type of person who prefers to be behind the wheel rather than being the passenger.

If you are interested in the additional BMW M Performance parts that our test car featured, you’ll be looking at an extra RM72k on top the the retail price but each part could be individually purchased and retrofitted by your BMW dealer. The kit includes:

20-inch double spoke 669M bi-color alloys with Pirelli P Zero run flats – RM33,103
Side skirt – RM2,549.80
Side skirt Film – RM1,014.80
Front splitter in carbon – RM7,176
Front attachment in carbon – RM5,066.70
Front ornamental grille in gloss black – RM1,087.20
Exterior mirror covers in carbon – RM3,952.60
Rear bumper Trim – RM3,448.20
Rear diffuser in carbon – RM10,147.95
Rear spoiler in carbon – RM4,282.80
Stainless steel Pedals – RM888.10
Total RM72,717

Big thanks to Jonathan for the review!