So here I am, sitting in the lounge of The Westin in Kuala Lumpur, after a 41/2-hour drive from Singapore.
I should be exhausted, but the truth is, the boredom of loping towards an endless horizon aside, I am not tired.
Downstairs and equally unstressed sits the BMW 520d that brought me here.
The car is in base configuration, with no adjustable suspension nor four-wheel steering. Its engine is a 2-litre turbo-diesel. Despite this, the BMW leaves you in no doubt that it comes from the land of the autobahn.
There was a time when a BMW suffixed by “20” meant much breathless and noisy straining. But in the 520d, you get authoritative progress on delicious waves of torque.
With an 8-speed automatic transmission, the 355km journey was accomplished with only a quarter of the tank’s diesel – or 17.9km per litre.
This was undertaken fully laden with four passengers, luggage, everything turned on and a cruising speed of 120 to 130km/h.
The 520d sails up to motorway speeds with utter nonchalance. No histrionics, no groans of complaint, no ungainly heaving, only the increasing blurring of the scenery to clue you in to the speed.
It devours miles of tarmac and countless Perodua Kancils with nary a hint of effort, in a hermetically sealed capsule lined with fine wood, aluminium and leather.
Within that capsule, there has been a quiet evolution of BMW’s traditionally straight-edged aesthetic. Gentle sweeps now appear on the door and dashboard trim. Not enough to mimic a Mercedes-Benz’s sculptural form, but enough to give it a sumptuousness absent from its generational forebear.
The quality of materials here is impeccably tasteful and succeeds immensely in creating an ambience of substance and palpable luxury.
Playing with gadgets is part of the modern motoring experience and BMW’s infotainment engineers have obviously been working overtime.
A 10.25-inch display offers a myriad of connectivity functions. Its operation is fluid and lag-free.
I entered Kuala Lumpur at peak hour. Within its mass of intersections, flyovers, rutted back roads and thronging streets, the big BMW acquits itself as well as it had on the highway.
In corners, grip is apportioned beautifully to all four contact patches, while the car rotates around its centre in signature BMW fashion. It is a lovely sensation that shrinks the car, which some of its equally large rivals fail to replicate.
Complaints? Apart from a basic sound system lacking somewhat in richness and clarity, I can think of none.
It is rare to encounter such an astounding breadth of ability, but this executive sedan is genuinely a magnificent achievement.
BMW 520d 2.0 (A)
ENGINE 1995cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbo-diesel
MAX POWER 190bhp at 4000rpm
MAX TORQUE 400Nm at 1750-2500rpm
GEARBOX 8-speed automatic with manual select
0-100KM/H 7.5 seconds
TOP SPEED 235km/h
CONSUMPTION 20.8km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $266,800 (after $5k CEVS rebate)
Related story: BMW 530e iPerformance review
Related story: BMW 530i review
Related story: BMW 540i review
