BMW Group Malaysia today announced the arrival of the latest 5 Series model in its lineup, the 520d. The first diesel-engined variant of the F10 to be introduced locally was unveiled at the BMW Malaysian Open 2011, a leg of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, in KL.

The most stunning aspect of the 520d isn’t with its performance, but rather with its price – the SKD car rolls in at RM333,800 (without insurance, with BMW Service Inclusive + Repair), making it the cheapest 5 Series model in the lineup right now. At RM50,000 less than the 523i, that’s really quite a significant achievement. It’s also a big drop from the RM379,800 asked for the E60 520d Sports Edition when that one was introduced locally in October 2009.

Not that you lose much paying fifty grand less than a 523i. In fact, aside from the omission of Integral Active Steering and the four-zone climate control (there are no controls for the rear blowers on the 520d), just about everything to be found on the 523i is here on the diesel – the iDrive, the large LCD screen, whatever else you can think of.

The car is powered by the same N47D 2.0 litre four-cylinder common-rail direct injection BMW Advanced Diesel block as found on the 320d (which was uprated from 177 hp sometime late last year), and offers 184 hp at 4,000rpm and 380 Nm at 1,750-2,750 rpm, mated to an 8HP45 eight-speed auto gearbox.

Performance figures for the 520d, which sits on 17-inch wheels wrapped with 225/55 series tyres, include a 0-100 kph time of 8.1 seconds and a top speed of 225 kph, and the claimed average fuel consumption for the vehicle is just 5.2 litres per 100 km.

The bag of electronic tricks is comprehensive – there’s the usual Dynamic Stability Control, Dynamic Driving Control and Dynamic Damping Control among the bits. As for BMW EfficientDynamics technologies, these include Brake Energy Regeneration and electromechanical steering.

Meanwhile, BMW ConnectedDrive components include USB connectivity and bluetooth functions, as well as considerably expanded functionality for mobile phones and portable music players; BMW TeleServices and the optional BMW Telematics Platform Accessory (TPA), which includes an emergency Vehicle Recovery System as well as other BMW Assist remote services, are also to be found.

Indeed, as you peruse what’s on the kit list, the short of it is that nothing significant has been omitted for the asking price, and that really does make the 520d outstanding value, if you happen to be looking at a premium executive sedan. All very impressive, to say the least.

Live gallery photos after the jump.