BMW ActiveHybrid 5 - Active duty

BMW’s 5 Series range is about to expand with the addition of a hybrid model, the ActiveHybrid 5. Augmenting its excellent turbocharged, 300-hp, 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine is an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries, bringing the horsepower total to 335 and boosting torque by 155 lb-ft to 455. The car can run on electric power up to 37 mph with a maximum range of 2.5 miles. BMW claims this extra locomotive force can boost acceleration as well, quoting a 0-to-60 mph time of 5.7 seconds, but the “normal” 535i is still quicker by a tenth or two. No exact figures yet on consumption or emissions are available yet, just the claim of a “double-digit percentage improvement.” The ActiveHybrid 5 comes out in March 2012.