[XDriver]

Wonderful review Omkar and GTO. Spot on observations. I am an owner of the G30 530d. Design wise the G30 is just classy while the new one looks quirky!!
Few things the G30 has like the laser lights, adaptive dampers, sun blinds, heads-up display are sorely missing on the new one. Another point in favour of the G30 is the iDrive 7.
Sad that BMW does not offer the 540i trim in India.
That said, I think as a package with the spacious rear seat and superb ride quality it should sell well.

[raviemailid]

Thank you for the review.

I had test driven 530Li at KUN BMW in Bangalore last week. It is not a photogenic car. I always found it to be looking better in person than the digital images. The front hood looks massive and once you put those 19 in tyre's, the overall look improves a lot. Lights, illuminated grill, DRLs, they all add to the beauty of the car.

Driving experience around the airport road was very good too. The highway dividers made a very pleasant sound inside the cabin. It softened all the bumps and humps of the road to an extent that it'll not feel uncomfortable to you inside. I didn't miss air suspension either, ride felt good and GC was good enough for Indian roads. Front seat adjustment was good and you feel your own space separate from front passenger. And the seat ventilation - ah, it is an underrated feature. Keeping seat cooling on was so refreshing that it singlehandedly made E200 drown in sweat.

Everything is good till you sit in rear seat. All the wow factor goes for a toss and you just don't get the same vibe that you got while sitting in front. BMW can say all they want that the rear seats have more cushion, I found no difference in comfort compared to E class. Plus the 36 degree recline in E class is just another level. I'll not even talk about the sun blinds.

Bowers and Wilkins sound good and to my ear, they sounded very comparable to Mercedes Burmester, but none of them are audiophile. My home stereo setup driven by Yamaha on Q Acoustic speakers produce much richer and fuller music.

I also found the driver display not as good as E class and it goes the same for center infotainment unit. It's good but I liked the UI and graphics of E class better. The camera in the car is probably the worst feature that just doesn't bring anything useful to the table. They would have been much better of removing the camera and adding the seat massage or head-up display. I just can't fathom the HUD positioning in cars by Merc and BMW. If they can give it in international market as an option, why not do it here in India. A HUD would have brought the bling factor that 530Li sorely misses out on.

BMW 530Li is a very good car, but, sadly, it's not a special car that many INR 90L buyers are looking for it to be. With BMW already offering 5L discount, there is a high chance it'll get good takers in the market. Who knows, I might be one of them.

[emperor_raizen]

With A6 becoming outdated in the market, Lexus es 300h on its last leg before a new generation is brought to our shore, and E class & 5 series losing their charm with this generation, we are left with no choice but to shift our preference to a different price bracket and be contend with what we have.

[aseemsood]

Disappointed to hear that the new 5 Series will not include adaptive dampers. In my opinion, adaptive dampers enhance not only the driving dynamics but also passenger comfort. When I purchased the 330i GT M-Sport in 2018, it came with comfort suspension, and I struggled with "pitching issue" while driving. Based on advice from fellow BHPian @Graaja, I switched to a stiffer M Sport suspension, which significantly improved the ride quality.

I can’t help but wonder if the new 5 Series might face similar challenges.

[d3mon]

For anyone who's not experienced adaptive dampers, you can see the magic that they bring about by watching the video below - same cars, just with different powertrains and suspension.
Click on the links to open youtube to jump to the relevant timecodes.

1) 520i (much lighter) with regular, non adaptive suspension.
Mind you, this is not even the long wheel base version.
Jumping around like a pogo stick, completely uncontrolled, on a series of undulations at 130kmph.

(Watch from 13:47)

2) i5 (maybe 500-600KG heavier) - so much more difficult to control the mass.
Same road, same speed and even with the extra weight, it takes all the undulations in it's stride and comes out completely unfazed, with zero bouncing.

(watch from 24:38)

https://youtu.be/gESViHouq98?si=1oixKKgwO-83cC8k&t=827

*This* is pure driving pleasure - knowing that you can trust your car to stay in control, no matter the speeds.
Not the bingy light up grill or the stupid bronze accents.

[Kelly66]

Thanks for the detailed review, @Omkar!

Does the car have adaptive cruise control and lane assist (what they call Driver Assistance Professional package)? I remember the sales guy saying it comes only from 5 series upwards.

HUD and adaptive suspension is a big miss for such an expensive car. Although, the pricing is very attractive one should buy it if its going to be largely chauffeur driven and for that status badge.

For pure driving exhilaration, the 340i is the way to go. It gets the HUD, mild hyrbrid and with adaptive suspension expected soon, that's a much better buy especially if one is not worried about rear leg room.

For best of both worlds, the 330Li looks a much better package with ~15L savings.

[PreludeSH]

Saw this last week in Falcon mall, Kanakapura road in person where it was on display. Looked a little out of proportion with the sloping rear not gelling overall with the shape. The front is too long and rear is abrupt.

[skb1811]

Went to check out the 530Li a few days ago, was a treat to myself turning 23 , looks wise, well, completely different to the previous gen, but that's what most manufacturers do when doing a full update to the cars.

First thing that popped into my head was "man, that thing is BIG. Really BIG". And the long hood, long wheelbase (and its curb weight) shows it.
I liked the design of the smaller wheels, but they do look tiny, mostly due to the thicker sidewall, but they probably give better driveability on our roads.

Got into the back seat first, I'm pretty tall at 198cm (6.6ft) and the space in the back was very impressive. I had a few inches of headroom left, had pretty good thigh support, and the space under the front seat was adequate for my feet. The fact that there aren't any electronic sunshades was a bummer at this price point.
Thing to note is that the sound insulation is amazing. I closed the rear door, (front windows were still open), and it was still very silent inside.

Overall, the interior was a VERY nice place to be in, the seats are very supportive and comfortable, pretty spacious in the back.
Exterior? Well, that's a personal choice. To each their own there.

[Oggy]

Thank you for the detailed review. I've genuinely been disappointed with every new BMW since 2019 (i.e. the shift from iDrive 6 - 7 - 8). Bar the 8 series, the design language has gone downhill. Having driven almost every BMW model from the 2012 F series (3, 5, 7, X5, etc.) to the 2024MY cars (also owning the G32 (630d GT M Sport)), I have found the driving experience to get worse with every progressive generation, the technology to get clunky and overwhelming, and the timelessness and aesthetic to deteriorate.

Not to sound overly negative, but I feel BMW peaked with the G30, the iDrive 6 system was the perfect blend of technology and a design that ages gracefully, especially the gauge cluster. Additionally, the 30d power train is probably my favourite fitted to any 'daily' vehicle ever.

Now, after a few years abroad, as I plan to return to India, the luxury car market prices have gone through the roof (thank the weakening rupee), the number of vehicles offered to enthusiasts has dwindled, and road taxes keep increasing. Despite my averseness towards used cars, I'm firm on buying a pre-LCI 530d M-Sport (G30) in India, if I were abroad I would probably buy the 840i coupe (B58 engine) in RWD configuration.

The reason I make this post, is to see if there are any other BMW/German owners that feel the same way about the new crop of cars available to us & what your workarounds have been to this in India.

[soarersc300]

Originally Posted by Oggy

The reason I make this post, is to see if there are any other BMW/German owners that feel the same way about the new crop of cars available to us & what your workarounds have been to this in India.

Absolutely agree that the G30 was one of a kind. If one is looking for a self drive luxury car in India which feels special you will end up making some compromises. I recently went through this process and ended up with the A6 Technology. 530 as well as 330 were also in close contention during the decision making process. I will write a detailed ownership review soon.

[Carmageddon]

Originally Posted by emperor_raizen

With A6 becoming outdated in the market, Lexus es 300h on its last leg before a new generation is brought to our shore, and E class & 5 series losing their charm with this generation, we are left with no choice but to shift our preference to a different price bracket and be contend with what we have.

Well said. I’m grappling with the same issue, the lack of choice for a self-driver is sad. Do let me know what alternatives you are considering, if any (X5 is on my radar, but I can wait if there are better options coming in 2025).

[emperor_raizen]

Originally Posted by Carmageddon

Well said. I’m grappling with the same issue, the lack of choice for a self-driver is sad. Do let me know what alternatives you are considering, if any (X5 is on my radar, but I can wait if there are better options coming in 2025).

X5 it is. But I'm in no hurry and would like to wait if BMW takes the call of bringing 540i(Standard wheelbase version) to India.

[sunnysideup_]

I know this might be an unpopular opinion, but I actually think it looks nice. Sure it isn't as timeless as the preceding 5 series cars that it follows (a tough ask from this one to be honest), but I do think it looks fine. I must mention, I also really like the e60 Chris Bangle 5 series, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt if you must.

Also, I don't know if this has been pointed out before, but the side profile is very reminiscent to the Jaguar XF personally.

[TheGearBox]

I am just not able to go along with the design of this generation of 5-Series, and that is a first!
BMW seems to have tried to modernize the E60's design and goofed up horribly.

I truly hope they (atleast try to) rectify their mistake in the LCI version.

[Abhi04]

I have a slightly different take on the new 5 series. I have been driving the 5 series, G30 530i for a little over 4 years now and recently had the opportunity to live with the G68 for a day.

Below is my unbiased opinion -

- The car looks much better in person than the pictures. I was convinced that it is an ugly iteration of the G30 but it has grown on me and more. It is quite long and the bronze inserts which made me compare the car to a cheap far east copy, definitely looks good and different in person.

- Interiors are a step up from my G30. I had the convenience of switching back and forth between the two cars and the interiors are definitely a generation better! They are opulent and space is in abundance. The curved display is slick and may not be very user friendly to begin with but by the end of the day I was able to set it up in a way that I didn't really have the need to mess around with the many menus. Only gripe - my driver display is not the best on the G30 (iDrive 7) and the G68 has definitely not addressed it, it has only made it worse, if I may.

- I have been quite content with the 2L turbo charged engine on my G30. Sure it is no 30d but I have always admired the quick and linear power deliver with always enough juice on tap for my driving. The G68 lacks the steering feel and sure there are no adaptive dampeners but during my 50 odd kms with the car on a Sunday in Gurgaon, I really enjoyed the drive. The suspension is tuned to be more comfortable than sporty and comfortable it definitely is.

I am not highlighting the missing bits which have been addressed nicely in the official review.

Finally, If I was in the market for a luxury sedan, this will be on the top of my list and in a few years when I am looking to replace my G30, this is going to be on the top of my list. I am an out and out sedan guy and there aren't many options anyway!

This is my first post on the forum but for the last 10 years this I the first website I open when I need downtime! Mods - Kindly excuse for any violations. Cheers.