BMW Malaysia has teased a new variant of the G30 5 Series on social media, and with the blue theme going on, it can only be the 530e iPerformance. We’ve driven the plug-in hybrid variant of the 5 Series and have been told that it will be officially launched in Malaysia this month.

Reader David Diong sent in the spyshots you see below, of a uncovered 530e on the Sprint Highway. From the pics, we can see that the PHEV G30 will be sold in Sport Line, identifiable by the gloss black front valance and similarly dark tail pipe finishing.

It’s not all shiny black trim as per the standard Sport however – this car has the add-on satin aluminium trim on the side air breathers and window surrounds. BMW Malaysia chose the same bright alu trim for the current 530i M Sport, which works well. Coupled with what should be 18-inch multi-spoke rims, it’s a classy look for the business sedan.

The 530e’s powertrain recipe is similar to the 330e’s, but improvements to the eDrive technology have been made. The main heart of the car is a 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo engine with 184 hp and 320 Nm of torque. It’s paired to a 113 hp/250 Nm electric motor that lives within the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.

Total system output is 252 hp and 420 Nm, which is identical in power with the ICE-only 530i and 70 Nm up. The 530e does the benchmark 0-100 km/h sprint in a hot hatch rivalling 6.2 seconds (matching the 530i) and a top speed of 235 km/h.

There’s a 9.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the rear seats. Fully juiced, it’s capable of powering the 530e in electric mode at speeds of up to 140 km/h, and claimed pure EV range is 50 km. The combined real-world range in hybrid mode can be up to 650 km, Munich says.

The arrival of the 530e will complete BMW’s PHEV sedan range in Malaysia, with the 330e and 740Le already present and selling well. The 530e will rival the Mercedes-Benz E350e (from RM393k) and Volvo S90 T8 Twin Engine (from RM369k) in its segment. Read our full review of the 530e.


GALLERY: BMW 530e iPerformance in Germany

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