BMW’s hybrid 5 Series saloon – the ActiveHybrid 5 – will cost £46,860 when it goes on sale in February.
The ActiveHybrid 5 has the 535i’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol engine mated to a 53bhp electric motor. Transmission is through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
BMW says the hybrid 5 Series is 16% more efficient than the 535i, with average economy of 44.1mpg and CO2 emissions of 149g/km.
The ActiveHybrid 5 can travel up to 2.4 miles at speeds of 37mph on electric power alone. An engine stop-start system is standard, along with an energy management system that uses data from the car's sat-nav to make the best use of energy reserves.
A combined output of 335bhp is produced by the ActiveHybrid 5 petrol engine and electric motor. The car will go from 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds – 0.2 seconds quicker than a 535i automatic.
Boot capacity is cut by 145 litres, to 375 litres, to accommodate the car's larger battery housing.
Standard equipment includes satellite-navigation and four-zone climate control. Exterior changes are limited to name badges, chrome front grille slats and matt-chrome exhaust pipes.
