Plug-in hybrid cars are often dispensable cars that do not play satisfactorily either in the electric or combustion world. According to the motto “displacement cannot be replaced by anything except an electric motor”. Whether a plug-in hybrid is climate-friendly, however, depends much more on the driving style and driving profile than on the combustion engine. The BMW 545e xDrive shows that enjoyment and hybrid can also go well together. “Krone” engine editor Stephan Schätzl was on the road with the Verbennstromer – his impressions here in the video!
With six cylinders and an additional electric motor, which together generate a system output of 394 hp, there is no question of doing without. Except for the trunk and tank volume.
The three-liter engine is basically the same as in the 540i, but with 286 instead of 333 hp. However, this difference is not noticeable because, on the one hand, the torque of 450 Nm from 1600 rpm. has remained the same and, on the other hand, the electric motor in the transmission adds 80 kW / 109 PS and 265 Nm. The system torque is a whopping 600 Nm.
The trick is: Because of the NoVA regulation, the hybrid is cheaper than the comparable combustion engine (which is actually a mild hybrid). The base price for the 545e xDrive is 74,700 euros, the BMW 540i xDrive costs 600 euros more, but has 61 hp less. The performance is also better with the 545e, although it is 200 kilos heavier. BMW specifies the sprint to 100 km / h in 4.6 seconds.
The interaction of the two motors works seamlessly, the characteristics can be set via the driving modes. If you take your foot off the accelerator, the system will decide, depending on the traffic situation, whether to switch to sailing mode with the engine switched off, or whether to recuperate (i.e. brake with the electric motor and recover energy).
The WLTP range of 49 to 57 kilometers is relatively illusory, but the 34 kilometers achieved in the test (with a not particularly economical driving style and a full throttle portion of 140 km / h) go for a 2.1 ton car (according to DIN) with 11 , 15 kWh battery capacity ok.
In the best case scenario, the wallbox is charged with 3.7 kW, so it takes a good three and a half hours for the battery to be full. At the normal socket it is 6 hours.
The base price for the BMW 545e xDrive is 74,700 euros, the test car, including many extras, comes to 115,000 euros. You can equip the 5 Series as a luxury vehicle. Those who can afford it should do so too. Not because you save a few euros with the hybrid, but because pleasure is part of the principle with this six-cylinder part-time electricity. You can find out everything else about this car in the video!