Those who thought the days of the turbo-diesel locomotive BMW were over are, thankfully, mistaken as BMW Australia gets ready to launch the 2025 540d xDrive. It will join the electric-only i5 and the sole combustion offering in the form of the four-cylinder 520i later this year.
This move is all the more curious when you consider that six-cylinder diesels are now becoming scarce in BMW’s lineup, with only the X3, X5, X6 and X7 having avoided the gnashing teeth of the electrification juggernaut.
BMW has skipped the petrol and gone straight for the 3.0-litre TwinPower turbo-diesel 3.0-litre inline-six using a 48V mild-hybrid system. It produces an impressive 223kW with a tsunami-threatening 670Nm of torque, which means it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds.
Interestingly, the mild-hybrid system can give an e-boost of up to 13kW and 200Nm, and can recapture kinetic energy using re-gen braking.
Available solely in M Sport guise, the new variant will wear striking 20-inch alloys adopting a technical spoke pattern wrapped in low profile rubber. With standard metallic paint. To our eyes, this blue example benefiting from the more confident stance calms some of the fussiness that the G60 5 Series and i5 have been criticised for.
A 655-watt Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system will provide aural ecstasy to all occupants with BMW Individual Merino leather to sink into for the consummate interstate touring experience.
While pricing is yet to be announced, given the cost difference in Germany, as well as the difference between equivalent X3s with the same powertrain options, somewhere in the region of $136,000 to $145,000 could be a reasonable estimate.
The 2024 BMW 540d xDrive launches in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2024.
