Wowzers! Check out the cool features you'll get to enjoy if you're ever fortunate enough to own a BMW 540i.
Photos by Joel Tam
Known in the past for being awesome driving machines, new BMW models have been getting softer and less engaging. But where they lack in driving edge, they've made up in new tech. In this article, we look at the top-of-the-line 540i and see just how nifty a car it is.
POWER-PACKED. The 540i is packed with 335 bhp, coming from a 3.0-litre BMW TwinPower Turbo 6-cylinder in-line 24-valve unit. This enables the car to reach 100 km/h from standstill in less than 5 seconds. Which puts it in supercar territory. And this is not even the M5.
CINEMA CENTRIC. There’s a new wide-screen media display in the middle which has been inspired by smartphones with the app-like interface and all. In the default menu, you have 3 windows; Media, Navigation and Connect Drive. But you can switch these around and call up other info tabs to suit your preferred viewing.
DIGITAL DASH. Not so new, but still a joy to behold, is the digital instrument cluster. The new dash allows the instruments to change in design to suit the driver’s corresponding mood and drive mode. Speaking of which, the 540i has the regular range of drive settings from Eco Pro, Comfort, Adaptive and Sports.
PARKING PLUS. Clear, intuitive and user-friendly - BMW’s Parking Assistant Plus is truly impressive. All-round cameras are always giving you a better line of sight in the direction you are going when getting into a lot. There’s also a eerily accurate top-down view made from the cameras to give you a full-screen aerial perspective. This helps you place the car no matter where you are, there’s never a blind corner or spot with this tech.
REMARKABLE REMOTE. So, this special remote allows me to move the car without even getting in. “Wait do you mean like a remote-control car?” Why, yes, a bit like that actually. The BMW Display Key has Remote Control Parking which gives the driver the ability to start and stop the engine remotely, and even drive the car a couple of meters, out of tight parking spaces for example.
The key also holds many information about the car which you can access remotely even when you’re away from the vehicle. It needs charging though, but can be done wirelessly via a compartment on the centre console.
