Article Abstract
- The BMW G60 5 Collection is due for a mid-cycle facelift round 2027, and rumors recommend the 520d variant might be upgraded from its present four-cylinder B47 to the straight-six B57 diesel.
- The B57 is already used within the 540d and produces as much as 286 hp and 700 Nm of torque, with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system — making it one of the refined and highly effective diesel engines available on the market.
- The transfer would sign that BMW has no intention of abandoning diesel, notably in key European markets the place oil-burners nonetheless dominate government sedan gross sales.
We’ve been listening to whispers from recently that BMW is way from executed with their diesel engines and the most recent rumor, provides extra substance behind these assumptions. In keeping with sources, the upcoming G60 5 Collection facelift — already noticed in early spy pictures testing forward of a suspected 2027 reveal — might deliver one thing surprising to the 520d nameplate: a straight-six diesel underneath the hood.
Sure, you learn that proper. Sources recommend BMW could also be contemplating dropping the B57 3.0-liter inline-six diesel into the facelifted 520d, a transfer that may characterize a big improve from the present four-cylinder B47 unit that powers at the moment’s base diesel 5 Collection.
Why the B57 Is Price Getting Excited About
For those who’re not accustomed to the B57, permit us to make the introduction. This 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged inline-six is among the most interesting diesel engines ever constructed — full cease. In its numerous states of tune, it produces between 286 hp and 340 hp, with torque figures that can make your neck snap: as much as 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) in commonplace 40d guise, and as excessive as 760 Nm in its extra excessive purposes. Within the 540d xDrive, it rockets the 5 Collection from 0 to 100 km/h in round 4.6 seconds — numbers that may have been thought-about sports activities automobile territory not way back.
The B57 additionally advantages from a 48-volt mild-hybrid system in newer purposes, including a belt-integrated starter-generator that recovers power underneath braking and supplies an extra electrical increase when wanted. It’s a diesel that genuinely doesn’t really feel like one — easy, linear, and nearly eerily quiet at freeway speeds.
Why the Highly effective Diesel within the 520d?
The 520d has all the time been the quantity vendor within the 5 Collection diesel lineup — the rational selection, the corporate automobile staple, the long-haul government’s trusted companion. Giving it a six-cylinder might blur the road between it and the 540d, however it will additionally ship a really clear message: BMW isn’t strolling away from diesel. On the identical time, we anticipate the 520d to make much less energy than the 540d to not step on its toes.
It’s additionally refreshing that at a time when many European automakers have been quietly shelving their oil-burners, BMW has continued to spend money on diesel know-how. The 540d stays one of many model’s best-kept secrets and techniques, and stories recommend that diesel nonetheless accounts for a considerable share of 5 Collection gross sales in key markets like Germany, the UK, and throughout Jap Europe. Bringing the B57 downstream into the 520d — even in a detuned 286 hp variant — can be a daring assertion of intent.
Take It With a Pinch of Salt — For Now
As all the time with rumors at this stage, nothing is confirmed. BMW has not formally introduced any powertrain particulars for the G60 LCI, and the facelift itself remains to be a minimum of a yr away from showrooms. However the timing is sensible: the B57 is a mature, confirmed, and already homologated unit, and including it to a refreshed 520d would require comparatively modest re-engineering effort.
If it occurs, diesel loyalists may have purpose to have a good time. And if BMW actually does slot the B57 into the 520d facelift, take into account it one of the compelling sleeper sedans available on the market. It’s a smart move for patrons who nonetheless need diesels, at an reasonably priced worth, particularly for a midsize automobile.
