BMW 528i Efficient Dynamics

At first glance you might be mistaken that BMW’s updated 528i has undergone a bit of a downgrade.
Gone is the creamy smooth 255hp three-litre N52 naturally aspirated inline-six and in its place a new two-litre direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder lump which puts out just 241hp and has a sound reminiscent of a clattering diesel at idle.
The sunroof is also gone.
Scrape off the icing though and you find that there is so much more to the 528i now.
For one, the all important torque output has gone up by 40Nm, with peak torque coming in at a good 1,300rpm lower, at 1,250rpm and is available all the way to 4,800rpm.
This means the 528i feels so much livelier than before.
A brush of the throttle is enough to get you up to speed, and as the figures point out, a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.3 seconds means it is no slouch at all.
Flex your right foot at any speed below 150km/h and the car just surges forward so effortlessly that you wouldn’t care for that “missing” 14hp.
The transmission is so well sorted that progression through its eight ratios not only feels silky smooth, but it is nearly impossible to fall out of the engine’s power range.

As such power delivery feels like a continuous surge that doesn’t feel the least bit frantic.
But the big change in the 528i isn’t just the engine but the adoption of BMW’s full suite of Efficient Dynamics technologies.
The engine, for one, takes after the brilliant 302hp three-litre N54 engine in the 535i.
Though a litre and two cylinders short, the N20 comes with the big engine’s TwinPowerTurbo twin-scroll turbocharger, Valvetronic variable valve timing, Double-Vanos variable camshaft timing, and a cylinder displacement of 500cc to achieve optimum thermodynamics.
Top it off with an auto start-stop function and the additional “Eco Pro” mode in the Driving Experience Control, and the 528i is said to achieve an average fuel consumption figure of 6.8l/100km and a CO2 emissions figure of 158g/km.
Though our “enthusiastic” driving behaviour resulted resulted in 11l/100km, it must be noted that its big-engine predecessor clocked 13l/100km.
The auto start-stop function may need some getting used to as the system will shut down the engine automatically when the car is stationary for more than a second, and is said to cut fuel consumption by nine per cent.
Even though the engine automatically kicks back to life in the time it takes for your foot to move from the brake pedal to the accelerator, this function did stir our ire especially in stop-go traffic.
Thankfully there is an override button to switch off the auto start-stop function should you find yourself in such a situation.

Press the button below the start-stop button to switch off the auto start-stop function.

Should you feel the need to conserve fuel, the 528i’s Driving Experience Control now comes with an additional mode called “Eco Pro”, to compliment the “Sport+”, “Sport”, “Comfort”, and “Comfort+’” modes.
With the “Eco Pro” mode selected the throttle sensitivity is dampened, transmission shift characteristics changed, and climate control fine tuned to maximise the car’s fuel efficiency.
Technical changes aside the rest of the 528i is still pretty much the same car that we came to know and love.
Uber-refined on the inside, stunning to look at with is M-sport bodykit from the outside, and blessed with the handling poise and balance, it is a class above its peers.
Even though the new engine doesn’t sing a smooth tune quite like the old inline-six, its eager nature, near instantaneous torque delivery, and efficiency would make you forget about the old guard.
That, and the RM40,000 lower price tag over the old model.
Far from a downgrade, the new 528i does indeed bring more for less.

Forget BMW's old naming convention, the 528i packs a 2-litre engine.

Specifications of the BMW 528i M Sport 
Engine: 1,997cc, four-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged N20
Max Power: 241hp @ 5,000 - 6,000rpm
Max Torque: 350Nm @ 1,250 - 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed transmission, rear-wheel drive
Safety Features: Six airbags, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) including Dynamic Traction Control, ABS, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Brake Assist, LED daytime running lights, dynamic braking lights, run-flat tyres, and ISOFIX child seat anchor points
Price: RM409,800 OTR without insurance

The engine looks comparatively tiny, yet from the power you wouldn't guess so.

More Efficient Dynamics to come
With sustainability set as the central principle to BMW, we can expect to see more Efficient Dynamics technologies applied to upcoming BMW models.
The newly launched sixth-generation 3-series for instance gets BMW’s new range of engines, auto start-stop function, and “Eco Pro” mode.
Furthermore the N20 engine that is found in the new 3-series and current 5-series is designed to be modular and its makers are hinting of a future 1.5-litre three-cylinder variant that would be added to its engine line-up.
However, Efficient Dynamics isn’t just limited to conventional engine cars as BMW Malaysia would be soon introducing the ActiveHybrid 5, a hybrid that is powered by a three-litre turbocharged direct-injection inline-six, and an electric motor. BMW would also be launching its ‘i’ range of electric cars in two years time.
There is one aspect of BMW’s Efficient Dynamics that Malaysians won’t get to enjoy and that is its latest range of clean diesel engines, no thanks to the unavailability of low-sulphur diesel in the counry.
Developed alongside the N20 petrol engines is an all-aluminium two-litre four-cylinder diesel engine that is said to produce 215hp and 450Nm of torque in the 525d guise.
BMW claims that this particular variant could achieve 4.8-5-litre/100km while emitting just 126-132g/km of CO2, far more efficient and cleaner than the 528i tested earlier.