New BMW 520i is last pure-combustion 5 Series | Autocar

The new BMW 5 Series saloon will be offered with just one pure-ICE variant in the UK, as the brand prioritises all-electric and plug-in hybrid models.

The highly anticipated eighth-generation model, which will land in October, will be sold in 520i guise, runs the latest version of BMW’s familiar turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot mild-hybrid petrol engine.

This pushes 205bhp and 236lb ft to the rear wheels and is claimed to reach 62mph from a standstill in 7.5sec and attain a top speed of 143mph. An eight-speed automatic gearbox is fitted as standard.

Although two diesel models, which both use a 193bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel engine, will be offered in the range, these won’t be available to UK buyers.

Following the car’s launch, 530e and 550e xDrive plug-in hybrids will also arrive in the UK by the second quarter of 2024, with the rear-wheel-drive 530e producing 299bhp and the four-wheel-drive 550e xDrive producing 489bhp.

Both of the new plug-in hybrid models benefit from a new gearbox-mounted electric motor developing up to 194bhp and up to 332lb ft of torque.

The basis for the new 5-series, in both forms, is BMW’s Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform – the same structure that underpins all BMW models featuring either a longitudinally mounted internal combustion engine or electric drivetrain.

There’s also a new 19.4kWh lithium-ion battery, providing the 530e with an electric-only range of between 54 and 62 miles and the 550e xDrive with between 49 and 56 miles. BMW has also increased the AC charging capacity of its petrol-electric 5-series models to 7.4kW for faster recharging.