Good Dna In Bmw Wagon

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday January 14, 2006

BRENT DAVISON

BMW 530i M-SPORT TOURING

THE humble station wagon, I have discovered over the years, is a thing governed just as much by its cultural philosophies as it is by its practicality.

Australians and North Americans, for example, developed the thing to increase the size and usefulness of the family sedan, really only caring about interior space for carrying God knows what.

Europeans, on the other hand, desired the practicality but saw no good reason for detracting from the performance or road manners of the sedan upon which the wagon was based.

Which kind of explains why European car makers prefer to call their station wagons "sports wagons", so buyers will know they are not about to jump into something with the handling precision of a jelly on a hotplate and all the styling panache of a tea chest.

In other words the generic Eurowagon has inherited some seriously good corporate DNA, offering substance to go with the style.

In the case of our test car, BMW's 530i Touring (complete with M Sport kit), that style and substance comes at a price with a walk-up start of $117,500.

The M Sport bits (sports suspension with a slightly reduced ground clearance, self-levelling rear-end, big 18-inch alloys and run-flat tyres, M Sport steering wheel, sports front seats and some sexy dark trim) add $4000 and the options (think $2600 for the Head-Up instrument display and the vast sunroof at $3300, for example) also do their bit to lighten the wallet.

Quick summary: some of the M Sport bits are really handy (I'm thinking suspension and the wheel/tyre package) some not so much. A head-up display is fun but not essential and the sunroof is mostly wasted on me.

No, of far greater interest to this writer is the BMW's ability to cover ground quickly, precisely and safely while at the same time keeping its occupants comfortable.

Funny thing is though, the Touring's success cannot be sheeted-off to just one area.

The engine, for example, is a gem, a 3.0-litre, inline six-cylinder with double overhead camshafts, four valves for each cylinder and variable valve timing. It's 190kW hits full noise at a high 6600rpm and its 300Nm of torque hits the road at a low 2500rpm.

The transmission? A slickly smooth six-speed Steptronic auto with a really low first gear for quick getaways, no direct ratio and fairly tall fifth and sixth gears for fuss-free and economical cruising.

The official government fuel figure shows an average 9.5 litres/100km. We achieved 11.6 and believe that is highly commendable.

Then there's the chassis, a tight package with a suspension compliance that generally surprises but is ultimately let down on anything other than smooth roads by the wide, low-profile tyres and stiff springs and shocks.

Here's something to consider: Touring is so compliant it is entirely possible to forget it is a station wagon. Until it's time to shift kids, groceries and really big things. All at the same time.

And that is the really good thing about Touring: it does exactly what its sedan counterpart does in terms of handling and performance yet has that practical side as well, although I dare say it is going to look more at home parked outside the chalet at Thredbo with a set of skis on the roof than it is in the local shopping centre car park.

NUTS 7 BOLTS

PRICE: $121,500 (not including dealer or government charges).

DIMENSIONS:

Length: 4843mm.

Width: 1846mm.

Height: 1491mm.

Wheelbase: 2886mm.

Tracks (f/r): 1558mm/1581mm.

Ground clearance: 143mm.

Weight: 1590kg.

MECHANICAL:

Fuel-injected, 3.0-litre, double overhead camshaft, 24-valve, inline six-cylinder. Six-speed automatic.

MAXIMUM POWER: 190kW@6600rpm.

MAXIMUM TORQUE: 300Nm@2500rpm.

CHASSIS:

Front, longitudinal engine, rear-wheel-drive, power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, stability control, traction control, 18x8-inch alloy wheels, 245/40R18 tyres.

SUSPENSION: Independent front struts with coil springs and telescopic dampers, self-levelling pneumatic rear.

FUEL TYPE/CAPACITY: 95RON/70 litres.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: 9.5L/100km.

PERFORMANCE: 0-100km/h in 6.9secs; top speed 250km/h.

© 2006 Illawarra Mercury

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