The facelifted G30 BMW 5 Series is finally coming to Malaysia soon, with BMW Group Malaysia allowing interested customers to register their interest on the online BMW Shop. The refreshed executive sedan benchmark will be offered in two variants, the 530e plug-in hybrid and the 530i, both in M Sport trim. Besides the obligatory M Sport exterior package, both look to be offered with 19-inch Y-spoke Style 845 M two-tone alloy wheels, plus upgraded headlights with L-shaped daytime running lights – adaptive LED units for the 530e and Laserlight items with blue “eyebrows” for the 530i.

The 530i also appears to sport a sunroof, marking it out as the higher-specced variant – although it seems neither of them will get adaptive cruise control. We should mention, however, that these could be placeholder images and might not be representative of the actual cars. Mechanically, the 530i should be similar to the previous model. Despite the B48 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine getting higher-pressure fuel injection, outputs are identical at 252 PS from 5,200 to 6,500 rpm and 350 Nm of torque between 1,450 and 4,800 rpm – all sent to the rear via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.


The 530e will receive the upgraded powertrain from the 330e, pairing the 520i’s 184 PS/300 Nm B48 engine and eight-speed auto with a 68 PS electric motor. While outputs are the same at 252 PS and 420 Nm, a new XtraBoost function enables the motor to deliver an extra 41 PS upon acceleration, temporarily bumping the power figure to 292 PS.

At the same time, a larger 12 kWh (up from 9.2 kWh) brings a useful improvement in all-electric range, which goes up from 48 km to between 62 and 67 km. Beyond that, the facelift adds a new front end design with sharper headlights, a reshaped hexagonal double kidney grille and a U-shaped front bumper, plus three-dimensional taillights with C-shaped graphics and sharper contours for the rear bumper. Inside, you’ll find a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen option (a 10.25-inch unit is now fitted as standard), as well as repositioned steering wheel controls, gloss black centre console buttons, more comfortable seats and new trim and upholstery options. Expect pricing to remain around the same level as before – RM 333,693 for the 530e and RM 363,798 for the 530i with the sales and services tax (SST) exemption.