April 19, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] BMW’s new 540i M Sport Package Plus -- a top of the line gasoline-powered 5 Series sedan -- has arrived in Korea to lure car aficionados seeking both dynamic and luxurious driving.

The new car comes with advanced styling features, including 19-inch double-spoke 664M wheels, a SensaTec upholstered dashboard and an M Sport steering wheel to bring cosmetic upgrades to the already pretty 5 Series Sedan, one of the top-selling sedan cars here. 

Its overall performance has also been upgraded. It has increased the output of the six-cylinder inline gasoline engine to 340 horsepower with a whopping 45.9 kilogram-force meter of torque. It takes only 4.8 seconds for the 0-100 kilometer per hour acceleration.

Despite the improvements, the car still boasts a competitive fuel mileage of 10.2 kilometers per liter, the carmaker said.

Other key feature include the Steptronic eight-speed automatic gear box that enhances not only comfort but also acceleration and efficiency and the intelligent xDrive all-wheel-drive system that provides stable ride with excellent acceleration performance. The adaptive mode has also been newly added to its driving experience control system to adjust car settings to match the driver’s driving behavior.

The car also inherits the key merits of the previous 5 Series cars like the advanced self-driving system. The Active Cruise Control assists drivers while steering, accelerating and braking through both visual and audio warnings. The Lane Change Warning System helps drivers spot obstacles in the blind zone while changing lanes.

The car is priced at 101.4 million won (US$94,272.96), including taxes.

In the meantime, BMW 5 Series has been touted as one of the best cars of the year. British automobile magazines Wat Car? and Autocar selected it as the “Car of the Year” and “Executive Card of the Year,” respectively, this year.

By Song Seung-hyun (ssh@heraldcorp.com)