BMW 5 Series tops premium imports with over 21,000 units sold this year

BMW Korea announced Thursday that its 5 Series business sedan surpassed 20,000 cumulative domestic sales through October, making it the top-selling premium import nameplate over the same period. The BMW 520i also ranked first among all individual premium import models.

The 5 Series posted a year-on-year sales increase from the same period last year (21,364 units), driven by steady demand across its broad powertrain lineup spanning combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and fully electric variants.

The BMW 520i accounted for about 56 percent of total 5 Series sales, with 12,112 units sold from January through October. It retained the top spot among individual premium import models, repeating its performance from the same period last year.

The 520i's sustained popularity among discerning Korean customers reflects its well-rounded standard equipment. The entry-level model comes with BMW's head-up display, which projects key driving information directly into the driver's line of sight, along with remote engine start and ambient lighting, delivering a convenient digital cabin experience.

The 520i is powered by a BMW TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine producing 190 horsepower and 31.6 kilogram-meters of torque, paired with a 48V mild hybrid system. The 48V starter-generator provides additional output during acceleration and overtaking for a lively driving feel, while also reducing vibration when the engine restarts after an auto start-stop cycle for a smoother ride.

The fully electric BMW i5 sedan also gained ground, with 2,635 units sold through October — a jump of 91.6 percent from 1,375 units in the same period last year. The BMW i5 eDrive40, which offers a single-charge range of 453 kilometers and a refined yet dynamic driving character, was the most popular variant at 1,970 units, followed by the all-wheel-drive BMW i5 xDrive40 at 580 units and the high-performance BMW i5 M60 xDrive at 85 units.

In addition, 5 Series plug-in hybrid models, including the BMW M5, sold 2,026 units through October. The BMW 530e, capable of traveling up to 70 kilometers on electricity alone per charge, recorded sales of 1,402 units, while the BMW M5 and BMW M5 Touring — both equipped with an ultra-high-performance M hybrid system — together accounted for 400 units.

"The BMW 5 Series has been sold in Korea since 1995 and has earned the support of Korean customers for more than 30 years across successive generations," a BMW Korea official said. "We will continue to repay that long-standing support with outstanding product quality that customers can feel in everyday driving and a wide range of powertrain options suited to different driving environments."

Meanwhile, BMW Korea is running its "My Next BMW" campaign through Nov. 30, offering various benefits to customers who repurchase a new BMW, as part of broader marketing efforts to expand customer touchpoints.