[karan561]

Likes;

- Engine
- Handling & Ride Quality Balance
- Gearbox
- Feature Packed

Dislikes;

- Front Looks (I thought this would grow on me slowly but sadly this new front end looks good with the M Sport variant only)
- 530d pricing in India is too steep & no availability as its apparently sold out.
- Even with the increase in overall dimensions the Rear is still not exactly spacious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEOeZ6SceSU&t=109s

The video includes;

A quick exterior walk-around highlighting the changes BMW made for the G30;



Quick talk about the Engine, Gearbox, Handling, Ride Quality & cracking the top speed of the B47 Diesel engine;



Key Observations & Highlights;

- Externally the new 5 series has majorly 3 highlighting features which include the Headlights integrating into the grille with the presence of air flaps on the kidney grille. Secondly on the side profile the Air breather which is an air 'outlet' behind the front wheel well which diverts the air flowing into wheel well in a very controlled manner to reduce the turbulence in the wheel well, all of this resulting in a reduction of drag & fuel consumption & finally the Trunk as for the 1st time the trunk is made entirely of aluminium which it wasnt in the F10 (nor any other previous generations), and by this BMW achieved a weight reduction of 4.2Kgs just by the trunk.​
- Dimensionally the new G30 is 44mm longer, 8mm wider & 15mm taller than the outgoing F10 model. The wheelbase has also increased by 7mm.
- However, the use of die-cast aluminium & light weight construction technique the G30 is aprox 46kgs lighter than the previous gen 5 series (F10).
- There is no 'Carbon Core' use in the construction of the G30 like we see in the G11/12 7'er.
- The Hofmeister kink is more accentuated for the G30.
- Interestingly there are some changes in the G30's wheel PCD which is now 5x112 as against F10's 5x120. Also the Wheel hubs dimension has changed to 66.5mm for the G30 as against 72.5mm of the F10.
- The interiors are a definite step forward. Simply LOVED the iDrive, HUD (has a 70% larger projection surface) & all the gadgetry.
- The door pockets could have been larger & also the cup holders were a bit small.
- The AC was disappointing i somehow feel the blower speed was responsible for this.
- Cabin insulation seems an improvement as BMW seemed to have added a layer of insulation in the headliner as well now which makes the cabin a lot quieter compared to the previous model.
- They have also changed the setting of the Start stop system, for example if i am in comfort mode and i turn off the start stop fuel saving system and change the mode to ecopro for sometime where this system is ON but again when i go back comfort the car remembers i had turned off the system & remains off in comfort till you turn it back on. This is a big improvement as in F10 & or even the F30 this was irritating & i know some people who permanently coded it off permanently too, hence this was a good improvisation by BMW.
- This 520d engine is codenamed the B47 & it makes aprox 187hp & 400 NM of torque. 0-100 km/h sprint is done in 7.7 seconds & has a top speed of 238 km/h.
- Gearbox is the same 8 speed ZF, absolutely no complaints with this one.

[vishy76]

A very lucid style of reviewing as usual. Keep up the good work sir!

In India, the 520D does make the most sense for someone who is chauffeur driven 60-70% of times or isn't really a purist. But it certainly isn't explosive enough to exploit the car's driving dynamics.

But, the 530D and 530I take the cake here. They might be one of the last examples of performance internal combustion engines before hybrids and electric cars eventually make it here.

Unfortunately, the government thinks otherwise. The 530D doesn't make that much sense to anyone, all thanks to the anti-diesel laws our government suddenly decided to levy and of course BMW's pricing strategy for the 3.0 Turbo-Diesel. The waiting period is also more than 3 months IIRC.

Keep reviewing cars like this...

Regards,
vishy

[karan561]

Originally Posted by vishy76

A very lucid style of reviewing as usual. Keep up the good work sir!

Thanks vishy

In India, the 520D does make the most sense for someone who is chauffeur driven 60-70% of times or isn't really a purist. But it certainly isn't explosive enough to exploit the car's driving dynamics.

Yes, but 530i being similarly priced people should prefer that. Do also remember that F10 had no 528i (or a 530i) but it had the underpowered 520i which made no sense. Thankfully BMW sensibly launched 530i as a petrol option for the g30.

But, the 530D and 530I take the cake here. They might be one of the last examples of performance internal combustion engines before hybrids and electric cars eventually make it here.

Well said man

Unfortunately, the government thinks otherwise. The 530D doesn't make that much sense to anyone, all thanks to the anti-diesel laws our government suddenly decided to levy and of course BMW's pricing strategy for the 3.0 Turbo-Diesel. The waiting period is also more than 3 months IIRC.

With a heavy heart would have to agree with that as well.

Keep reviewing cars like this...

^ Thanks again.

[dean5545]

Great review of a great car in a great country !
Kudos to BMW for providing an identical spec model for India unlike Merc who skimped us on the dual display screens.
Keep it up👍🏻

[GTO]

Great review, Karan! Thanks for sharing. How much more shopping did you have to do with the wife to make up for spending time on this video ?

I see the G30 as a definite improvement over the F10, but Mercedes has them licked in the Indian market with the LWB E-Class. As you said, I don't like the new facial design either. I also have my doubts that this is an all-new gen. Just look at the silhouette of the car - it's 100% a reworked F10.

Originally Posted by karan561

- Engine
- Handling & Ride Quality Balance
- Gearbox
- Feature Packed

Perfect for the self-driven owner or enthusiast. He'll pick the G30 over the E-Class limo. Plus, all that new tech & gizmos do bring a feel good factor.

the Rear is still not exactly spacious

Hardly any difference in the wheelbase. In the variants with the thick sport seats, I think the rear seat will be just as cramped.

The door pockets could have been larger & also the cup holders were a bit small

Sucks to see that in-cabin storage is still a weak point.

The AC was disappointing

Must be an issue with this particular car as BMW's air-cons are the best in the business.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by dean5545

Great review of a great car in a great country !
Kudos to BMW for providing an identical spec model for India unlike Merc who skimped us on the dual display screens.
Keep it up👍🏻

Hey thanks Dean, indeed it was great filming this video at the birthplace of BMW i.e Munich. Also Germany was beautiful this time of the year (last month) just check out this pic;

Originally Posted by GTO

Great review, Karan! Thanks for sharing. How much more shopping did you have to do with the wife to make up for spending time on this video ?

Thank You GTO for the appreciation

Well indeed, but without her support all this wouldn't have been possible

I see the G30 as a definite improvement over the F10, but Mercedes has them licked in the Indian market with the LWB E-Class. As you said, I don't like the new facial design either. I also have my doubts that this is an all-new gen. Just look at the silhouette of the car - it's 100% a reworked F10.

Though they are terming the G30 as the '7th Gen' but the step forward seems minimalistic indeed. That way Mercedes are more experimental with their new generation cars or even the facelifts.

Perfect for the self-driven owner or enthusiast. He'll pick the G30 over the E-Class limo. Plus, all that new tech & gizmos do bring a feel good factor

True !

Must be an issue with this particular car as BMW's air-cons are the best in the business.

Our fellow BHPian has also reported a similar issue with the AC;

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4297711

[HKap]

Originally Posted by karan561

Though they are terming the G30 as the '7th Gen' but the step forward seems minimalistic indeed. That way Mercedes are more experimental with their new generation cars or even the facelifts.

Not sure about that. I believe the driving dynamics of the G30 are way better than the F10 in that there's less roll and the general driving experience is that of a much smaller and sportier car. The benz as attractive as it is, is probably a boat compared to the bimmer. I also think the F10 has aged very well and for some reason the mercs don't age as well as the BMWs.

Also it is so hard to tell the C, E and S apart with just a quick glance. You have to look for the overall size of the car and maybe the length to tell them apart. The BMWs seem to have an identity for each of their cars and that gives them the "soul" that I look for in cars.

As far as the looks are concerned, I personally like the F10 better than the G30. I think the interiors of the G30 are leagues ahead of the F10 though. All in all its a step forward but like people have already said, if you're going to be in the back seat then this isn't for you and the benz was always going to be the best bet for you. The lexus ES is probably a great option for the rear seat loving sethji too. The price is a bit of a bummer but a great car nonetheless.

[samaspire]

Nice one Karan - again. Your reviews get better everytime - and this time you've taken us to Germany !!

Looks like your new assistant is just as competent as the previous one.

[Thilak29]

Nice video Karan, as always. Its a pleasure to see the way you narrate.

Just take a look at this video,

https://youtu.be/_-aDHxoblr4

Its not so safe to talk to a Camera while driving!

[VW2010]

Top speed of 238. Wow. Nice car with lots of science inside. Suited for spirited driving as well as comfortable family touring.

The car was stable and calm even at 230-240kmph in the review video. Thanks for posting the video and even the video grab to show the capability of car and the stability of this engineering marvel from BMW.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by HKap

Also it is so hard to tell the C, E and S apart with just a quick glance. You have to look for the overall size of the car and maybe the length to tell them apart. The BMWs seem to have an identity for each of their cars and that gives them the "soul" that I look for in cars.

Hey HKap, thanks for sharing your interesting views.

Originally Posted by samaspire

Nice one Karan - again. Your reviews get better everytime - and this time you've taken us to Germany !!

Hi Sam, thanks for your appreciation

Looks like your new assistant is just as competent as the previous one.

Yes, my wife did a good job filming this video.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

Nice video Karan, as always. Its a pleasure to see the way you narrate.

Hey Thilak really appreciate your motivating comment.

Just take a look at this video,

Its not so safe to talk to a Camera while driving!

^ Interesting study, thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by VW2010

Top speed of 238. Wow. Nice car with lots of science inside. Suited for spirited driving as well as comfortable family touring.

The car was stable and calm even at 230-240kmph in the review video. Thanks for posting the video and even the video grab to show the capability of car and the stability of this engineering marvel from BMW.

Thanks VW2010, glad you enjoyed the video

Yes indeed it was stable but the road conditions are also excellent in Germany, so as far as India is concerned its best to stay within speed limits as you never know.

[karan561]

More pictures from this trip;



^ I hate to say this but somehow the front looks of the new 5 are growing on me.





^ Some of the German countryside was so beautiful that it feels like you are driving through a Colf-Course, or was i ?

At the factory of ZF;



Cracking the top speed (238 km/h) of this 2L diesel on the Autobahn;



Parked at my apartment @ Friedrichshafen;



At Neuschwanstein Castle;