2006 BMW 530i Sedan

Not even two years after the debut of the current 5 Series – then an all-new platform except for its 6-cylinder engines – this Series of performance/luxury midsize automobiles undergoes a significant update for its 2006 model year. The 6-cylinder models – 525i and 530i Sedans, new all-wheel-drive 525xi and 530xi Sedans, and a new 530xi Sports Wagon – are the first to make their debut, their new model year beginning with March 2005 production. The V-8 model will enter its ’06 model year as of September production.

All the new 6-cylinder models are powered by BMW’s advanced N52 engine, which is also making its debut in the new 3 Series. The new Sports Wagon, an appealing concept combining 5 Series sophistication with enhanced load-carrying versatility, appears in a single all-wheel-drive model.

All-New 6-Cylinder Engines

These days, most 6-cylinder engines are V-6s. By contrast, BMW’s “sixes” are inline engines, noted not only for their layout, but also for exceptional smoothness and unique sound. BMW customers and independent critics treasure them for these attributes, and BMW has retained the inline-6 layout while developing it toward reduced weight, more compact dimensions and even more brilliant performance, smoothness and sound. Confirming all this, AutoWeek‘s February 28, 2006 issue noted (in the context of the new 3 Series) that the new engine “sounds great, with an emphasis on clean mechanical noise from the engine bay rather than the tone of the muffler.“ BMW’s new generation of 6-cylinder engines is designated N52.

Valvetronic variable valve lift. This patented innovation, already enhancing the performance and fuel efficiency of BMW’s V-8 and V-12 engines, now appears in a BMW 6-cylinder engine as well – and in evolved form. Valvetronic varies valve lift to a far greater degree than other variable-lift systems – so much, in fact, that it replaces the traditional engine throttle. Engine breathing is controlled entirely by the valves themselves. ...BMW 530i Sedan: Page 2