What is it?
BMW may have elected not to produce its first two petrol electric hybrid models, the Active Hybrid 7 and X6 Active Hybrid, in right-hand-drive form, but the firm has finally given British car buyers a reason to look beyond its traditional petrol and diesel-powered models with the new Active Hybrid 5, placing its steering wheel on the correct side.
When it arrives here later this month, the petrol electric Active Hybrid 5 will be priced £7920 above the highly rated 535i at £46,860 – a hefty premium, if would seem, given its moderate increase in performance, even if it is offset by improved levels of fuel economy.
The higher price also gets you greater standard equipment says BMW. Still, it remains to be seen whether the new petrol-electric hybrid, which will eventually count the upcoming Audi A6 Hybrid and Mercedes-Benz E400 Hybrid among its rivals, retains its value as well as its petrol engine sibling.
At the heart of the new car is BMW’s familiar turbocharged 3.0-litre straight six petrol engine, producing 302bhp and 295lb ft. It is supported by a brushless electric motor mounted in forward section of the new car’s standard eight-speed automatic gearbox and endowed with a nominal 54bhp and 155lb ft. Together, the combustion engine and electric motor provide a combined 335bhp and 332lb ft – some 33bhp and 37lb ft more than the 535i.
Energy for the electric motor is supplied by a 1.35kWh lithium ion battery produced in-house at BMW from cells purchased from US supplier A123. The 1.35kWh pack is mounted within the floor of the boot, robbing some 165 litres of nominal luggage capacity.
What’s it like?
Being a full hybrid, the Active Hybrid 5 is capable of travelling for almost 2.5 miles at speeds up to 37mph on electric power alone – albeit only on relatively flat roads and with light throttle loads only. At the slightest hint of an incline or a sharp movement of your right foot, the petrol engine kicks in to boost performance.
The whole process is achieved with reassuring smoothness and efficiency, and can even be linked to the topography feature of the Active Hybrid 5’s optional navigation system to see it provide even greater benefits, such as at the end of programmed journeys where, if the conditions permit, it automatically switches into electric mode for the final mile or so providing there is sufficient battery charge.
But while highly proficient around town, it is out on the open road where the Active Hybrid 5 really shines. Solid straight line stability, urgent in gear qualities, low levels of wind noise and excellent driveline refinement make it a consummate cruiser on the motorway.
Despite the added weight, the increased reserves ensure performance remains strong and the handling is also terrifically entertaining – something that in our experience is not always a given with hybrids. We’ve driven quite a few petrol-electric powered cars in recent years, but I can’t recall one that feels quite as well sorted and nearly as agile as this new BMW.
There’s an inherent balance and fluidity to the chassis that makes the Active Hybrid 5 a real joy to push over challenging roads. The ride is typically firm but there’s plenty of spring travel and tyre roar is exceptionally well suppressed even on extremely course surfaces – providing the Active Hybrid 5 with tremendous long-distance qualities.
Should I buy one?
The Active Hybrid 5 offers improved economy over the 535i. With a combined average of 44.1mpg, it improves on its petrol engine sibling by over 10mpg, extending its range to a theoretical 650 miles. Whether it’s enough to warrant the £7920 premium is largely dependent on your priorities, and that’s before you even consider the 535d, which returns as much as 52.3mpg.
As a sheer technology statement, though, the Active Hybrid 5 is very impressive. And that, for some, is all that will matter.
BMW Active Hybrid 5
Price: £46,860; Top speed: 155mph (limited); 0-62mph: 6.4sec; Economy: 44.1mpg (combined); CO2 emissions: 149g/km; Kerb weight: 1850kg; Engine: 6 cyls in line, 2979cc, turbo, petrol, plus electric motor; Installation: front, longitudinal, RWD; Power: 335bhp (combined); Torque: 332lb ft (combined); Gearbox: 8-spd automatic
Join the debate
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
Question: if BMW can already produce its own hybrid system, which seems pretty efficient and seamless, why does it need Toyota's
The Hybrid system in the BMW is all linked to the 8 speed gearbox which was designed to incorporate the electric motor. Pretty much all the european RWL hybrids so far have used this box. Obviously the control units etc will vary from car to car, and that seems to be what BMW have right here.
Toyota on the other hand make Front wheel drive hybrids well, and make money from them. I guess BMW are eyeing up this technology for the Mini and new front wheel drive BMWs we will be getting soon
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
What I still fail to understand is why every manufacturer seems to bolt their hybrid pack onto a petrol model - surely for optimum mpg and CO2 they should start with the diesel model anyway?
Well, first answer is that now diesel engines are more expensive to make that petrol engines with comparable power, adding an electric engine the cost of the powertrain get very hig.
Another answer involves torque and transmissions. Diesel engines torque output is already very high, adding the torque of an electric engine the transmission should cope with too much torque and the cost of a transmission is proportional to the torque it has to handle.
Another issue are the pollutants. Diesel emits lower CO2 but higher NOx and PM10 than a petrol engine. A hybrid petrol that emits the same CO2 of a diesel is equally efficient but less pollutant.
There are a lot of other good reasons but in any case the diesel hybrids will come to market because customers want them...
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
What most people here don't understand, is that this technology is in its infancy. It needs to develop and this happens in small increments. It is also very costly and I'm sure BMW doesn't make money even with the premium charged.
It will get better and better over time!
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
Overdrive my understanding from previous reports is Toyota/Lexus isn't sharing it's Hybrid technology with BMW only it's battery technology, likewise BM will not be sharing it's diesel technology but giving Toyota access to their diesel engines which they won't allow Lexus to use, I think this is correct. I assume by this it's probably the basic diesel engines Toyota will get but all electonics and engine management will be Toyota's own with their partners.
I dont think BMW will expect this car in any way to be a big seller in this country, especially when it's £8k more than better models in the range, more likely it's an introduction to us the to put in our pysche the marriage of 'BMW' and 'Hybrid' technology, just like they had to introduce us to the Diesel and BMW in the 90s.It's probably the tesing bed for their i range onslaught in a few years time and it's here before Audi and Merc. It'll beinteresting to hear how this car compares with the estalished Lexus GS450h which will seem a bargain comapred with this car
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
Another issue are the pollutants. Diesel emits lower CO2 but higher NOx and PM10 than a petrol engine. A hybrid petrol that emits the same CO2 of a diesel is equally efficient but less pollutant.
I suggest you read up on the Euro 6 legislation which comes into force in 2014.
Diesel cars produce half the CO of petrol.
Identical pm maximum for diesel and direct injection petrol.
Petrol allowed to produce a greater number of particulates, pn, for the first 3 years of Euro 6 than diesel.
The only measured pollutant diesels do produce more of is NOx for which the limits will be for Euro 6, 0.080 for diesel and 0.060 for petrol.
So overall diesel are far cleaner than petrol with Euro 6.
Diesel engines torque output is already very high, adding the torque of an electric engine the transmission should cope with too much torque and the cost of a transmission is proportional to the torque it has to handle.
Although diesel engines generally produce more torque you must remember that only affects the input part of the transmission. The whole point of gearboxes in cars is to reduce the engine speed, and thereby increase the torque, to make the output torque suitable to drive the wheels.
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
Diesel cars produce half the CO of petrol.
Diesel cars produce half the CO of petrol.
Identical pm maximum for diesel and direct injection petrol.
Petrol allowed to produce a greater number of particulates, pn, for the first 3 years of Euro 6 than diesel.
The only measured pollutant diesels do produce more of is NOx for which the limits will be for Euro 6, 0.080 for diesel and 0.060 for petrol.
I know very well Euro VI numbers, actually the NOx strong diesel limitation has been among the main engineers problem over the last 5 years. In real world a diesel will emit always more NOx than a petrol engine. The added cost for a petrol engine to respect Euro VI is zero compared to Euro 5. For a diesel the added cost is big and in real world conditions it will emit more NOx.
Read Euro 5 norms, you will see that Diesel NOx emissions are 3 times higher than petrol. An then there is the combined HC+NOx value limitation for diesels. And the PM? It is a very dangerous pollutant present practically only in diesel. Direct injection petrol produce some PM to be fair but again the cost to keep it in the 0.005 limit is marginal.
Although diesel engines generally produce more torque you must remember that only affects the input part of the transmission. The whole point of gearboxes in cars is to reduce the engine speed, and thereby increase the torque, to make the output torque suitable to drive the wheels.
Well, this is obvious, but the torque transmitted to the pinion shaft impact on the performances and the cost of the gearwheels.
A problem of modern diesel engines is that to extract from them an higher power output you have to extract a higher torque output at low rpm. It's technically possible extract 300hp from a 2.0 L4 diesel today with a single turbo but you get too much torque in that way.
I forgot about the CO, this is like the NOx for diesel, a petrol will always emit more CO than a diesel but it is a better known pollutant, NOx effects on health are not so clear even today, so it is a bit less worrying in my view.
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
The added cost for a petrol engine to respect Euro VI is zero compared to Euro 5.
And the PM? It is a very dangerous pollutant present practically only in diesel. Direct injection petrol produce some PM to be fair but again the cost to keep it in the 0.005 limit is marginal.
In Euro 6 when it comes into force the limit for pm, particulate mass, is identical for petrol and diesel but the number of particles per volume, pn, is going to be allowed to be far higher for the first three years on the direct injection petrol engine because of the difficulty of reducing the numbers of the very fine particulate matter produced by petrol engines.
So I am assuming the reason for the 3 year delay in petrol engines being able to meet the same standards as the diesel is causing problems or expense.
It has been known for many years that particulate matter is dangerous. The real problem is not the large particles of soot you can see from a diesel but the tiny particles you cannot see from exhaust that can end up deep in your lungs.
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
So I am assuming the reason for the 3 year delay in petrol engines being able to meet the same standards as the diesel is causing problems or expense.
The reason is also that the PM particles produced by petrol are different to the ones emitted by diesel due to physical differences in the combustion process and the car makers asked for delays to further investigate pm petrol emissions. Some studies hint that they are more dangerous but it isn't so clear. A indirect injection petrol engine doesn't emit none and it is why I still see a lot of room for these engines in small petrol powered cars.
It has been known for many years that particulate matter is dangerous. The real problem is not the large particles of soot you can see from a diesel but the tiny particles you cannot see from exhaust that can end up deep in your lungs.
Exactly, and the main problem is that the density of these tiny particles are difficult to measure in cities, because a lot of incoherent results emerge from different controls among a restricted area.
I think there is too much focus on CO2 which is a severe global problem but too less on PM, NOx and HC which make the air of cities, populated by millions of people, quite terrible.
Back to the hybrids I think the only way to go in near future is a series-hybrid, where all the traction power is deployed by an electric powertrain and the internal combustion engine works just as a generator at constant rpm. In a static condition it is a lot easier developing valid post treatment systems and keep efficiency high. And real world emissions would be close to NEDC emissions. Now what happens past 2500 rpm in a diesel and 3500 rpm in a petrol engine is almost without rules...
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
Back to the hybrids I think the only way to go in near future is a series-hybrid, where all the traction power is deployed by an electric powertrain and the internal combustion engine works just as a generator at constant rpm
It's called a Vauxhall Ampera.
Hydrogen cars just went POP
Re: BMW Active Hybrid 5
What I still fail to understand is why every manufacturer seems to bolt their hybrid pack onto a petrol model - surely for optimum mpg and CO2 they should start with the diesel model anyway?
Makes me wonder what the new M550d would have been like if they'd used the hybrid battery/motor pack to give the additional power/torque over the 535d instead of going the tri-turbo route?
Having said that, I'd rather have an Alpina D5 anyway.
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