2012 BMW 528i xDrive

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Filed under: Sedan, BMW, New Car Reviews, Luxury

The Little Engine That Could Gets Its First Real Test



BMW owners in Europe have traditionally been presented with a wide variety of engine options from which to choose, ranging from a slew of four-cylinder petrol or diesel variants to a few six-, eight- and even 10-cylinder options. Here in the U.S., the pickings had been decidedly more slim for a long time, with the 3.0-liter inline six serving as the smallest measure of cylinder displacement. Even the ultra-compact 1 Series could only be ordered with the naturally aspirated or turbocharged 3.0.

That changed for the 2012 model year when a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hit our shores. This new engine is more powerful than the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter, with 240 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque at our beck and call. The engine was a common sense fit for the 3 Series, and early returns show that the 328i may, in fact, be the 3er to get.

But while the 3 Series was an obvious pairing for the 2.0T, the bigger and heavier 5 Series is a less apparent choice. That didn't stop BMW from offering the engine under the hood of the 2012 528i, and the German automaker didn't even shy away from pairing the mini mill with its weighty xDrive all-wheel-drive system, even though it wasn't even an option in the six-cylinder 2011 528i.

We spent a week with a well-appointed 528i with xDrive to see if the new turbocharged 2.0-liter had the guts to motivate 4,001 pounds of German engineering, while still feeling like a luxury sport sedan.Continue reading 2012 BMW 528i xDrive

2012 BMW 528i xDrive originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Jul 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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