Preview: 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5
The 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid5 (Photo: Jeff James)
One of the more intriguing vehicles that was part of the 2013 Colorado Green Car Convoy was the 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5, with this particular vehicle provided by Co’s BMW Center, located in Loveland, CO.
This model sports a 335 HP ActiveHybrid in-line 6-cylinder engine combined with a twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection, and variable valve control. A 55hp electric motor and a 120-volt lithium-ion battery provide part of the hybrid credentials, and the combined gasoline and electric power plants — teamed with an 8-speed steptronic transmission — provide the ActiveHybrid 5 with an impressive 30 MPG highway EPA rating.
I’m partial to the exterior design of the ActiveHybrid 5 because it doesn’t look like a hybrid. Early hybrid vehicles featured oddly-shaped and unusual exterior designs, driven partly by a need for minimum drag coefficients and low-resistance (and small diameter) tires. This vehicle looks like a traditional BMW 5-series, and that’s part of the appeal: I’d prefer my hybrid to blend in with the rest of the commuting public, thank you very much.
The 2013 BMW ActiveHybrid 5 starts at a rather pricey $61,400 MSRP, but BMW aficionados looking for the driving dynamics and creature comforts of a 5-series with a bit better mileage and reduced carbon emissions should find a lot to like here.