BMW ActiveHybrid 5 Review

From the general consensus, hybrid vehicles are frowned upon by petrolheads and car owners. I blame the Prius for this. While there’s nothing wrong with the technology, it started a stereotype that hybrids are awkward-looking and lacking in performance. The BMW ActiveHybrid 5 breaks these stereotypes. Here’s why…

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 technology

From the outside, the ActiveHybrid 5 looks much like a standard 535i with twin exhaust pipes. Big ActiveHybrid badges adorn the rear flanks and on the rear, and that’s pretty much the only clue to other road users that this is a hybrid. It even comes in its own special colour called Bluewater, which I like.  The 5-Series has always been an attractive vehicle and is far more visually appealing than its German counterparts.

Whenever a hybrid vehicle comes in for evaluation, I take great delight in trying to get the fuel economy as low as possible. In the case of the ActiveHybrid 5, I recorded a figure of 7.8L/100km. While this doesn’t sound very good, bear in mind that this a2ton car and the engine is well-known for doing duty in high performance vehicles like the BMW 1M and 335i.

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 electric assist and operation

On paper, theActiveHybrid 5 has 225kW and 400Nm from a 3.0-litre turbo’d straight six. Thanks to the addition of a small 40kW/210Nm electric motor located in the gearbox, the power is increased. The batteries are located just behind the rear seat, which hampers boot space, but you’re still left with a useful and practical storage area. Right, so how does it work? Start the vehicle up and you’re greeted with…nothing. The car is completely silent and only the lights on the dashboard indicate that it’s actually running. The dashboard has a neat little display which tells you exactly what the car is doing at that specific moment. You can see when it’s running on battery, petrol and when the clever recovery system is in operation.

Power is transmitted through an eight-speed automatic and to be honest, it’s best left to its own devices if you want to get the best economy. Should you want to have some involvement, the steering wheel-mounted paddles are precise and responsive. TheActiveHybrid 5 is happy to travel at speeds of up to 60km/h on battery alone. Once you’re on the open road and take your foot off the accelerator, the engine will cut out and the momentum will start charging the batteries through a kinetic recovery system. If you depress the brakes, they’ll assist in the charging process too.

If you come to a traffic jam, the car then uses that recovered power to drive the wheels. If you’re careful with the accelerator, the electric motor can get the car up to 60km/h and then the petrol engine takes over. Initially I found it quite weird seeing the rev counter sitting at 0rpm while I was doing 80km/h, but you get used to it and adapt your driving style accordingly.

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 performance

One day I decided to put the car out of Economy mode and engaged Sport. The green credentials went out the window and I was suddenly behind the wheel of a fire-breathing sports sedan that would happily chew up youngsters in their little hot hatches. The transition from careful and thrifty to snarling rocket is quite something. BMW says the ActiveHybrid 5 will hit 100km/h in under 6 seconds, and it certainly felt that fast. The top speed is 250km/h – very quick for something that’s marketed as a hybrid!

This then is the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing car. A complete Jekyll-and-Hyde vehicle. On one hand you have the tried-and-trusted 3.0-litre engine that offers fantastic performance and sounds meaty, while on the other hand there’s a cutting edge technological marvel that has only one thing on its mind: fuel-saving efficiency. The technology is so good and comprehensive that I’ll have to do a separate post on it!

Now I’ll happily admit that I follow the growth of hybrid vehicles quite closely and I find them interesting. I’m genuinely interested in the engineering behind the vehicle and how car companies try their hardest to make their vehicles fun and entertaining, yet still being environmentally conscious. I was initially quite sceptical when seeing the ActiveHybrid 5 on paper for the first time. Why make a hybrid vehicle with a high-performing engine?

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 conclusion

Yes, the 3.0-litre is a great engine but it’s thirstier than, say the equivalent diesel motor. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the 530d/535d either, both are terrific cars. It’s interesting to note that the ActiveHybrid 5 costs R760 979, while the 535i retails for R684 386 and the 535d goes for R780 394. It’s good positioning in my opinion. If you have a petrol 535i, you’ll probably burn the deficit in petrol over a few years anyway!

Simply, this is the most popular engine in the 5-Series and the ActiveHybrid 5 combines great performance with fuel-saving ability. So if you want a fast, executive 535i and don’t want to be spending time at the fuel pumps, then this car has your name on it. It’s not going to win any economy battles against the oil-burning brigade, but it will save you Rands here and there, while still being a thoroughly entertaining drive that has a surprisingly decent amount of standard specification. The technology is very impressive and I look forward to seeing it applied to future models.

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 price in South Africa

The BMW ActiveHybrid 5 retails for R760 979.

We like:
·         Very clever car
·         Great specification
·         Best of both worlds
·         Reasonably light on fuel

We don’t like:
·         You could get better economy from a 535d.
·         Seems a little expensive

BMW ActiveHybrid 5 specifications

Engine:                3.0-litre, six-cylinder, petrol, electric motor
Power:                 225 kW @ 5 800 rpm
Torque:                400 N.m @ 1 200 rpm
Transmission:      eight-speed automatic
Wheels:                18-inch
0-100 km/h:        5.9 seconds (claimed)
Fuel economy:   6.4l/100km (claimed combined cycle)

Also consider:
Lexus GS450h
BMW 535d