BMW M550i xDrive announced for Australia

If you like the idea of a BMW M5 Competition but find yourself about $100K short on the budget sheet, there’s good news on the way, in the form of the BMW M550i xDrive.

At $134,900, the M550i Pure is the first version of the model which will show up in Australia, in Q1 2020, with a massive 390kW/750Nm at its disposal. This comes thanks to BMW’s brawny 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8.

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Sure, that’s 70kW short of that engine’s output in the M5 Competiton, but the torque equals the full-fat M car, which itself costs a much heftier $229,900. And though the M5 is obviously the more aggro of the two, the M550i is claimed to be able to hit 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds.

It’s not short of kit, either, with adaptive dampers, and M Sport differential, and some M goodies like the steering wheel and aero pack, the M550i Pure seems to hit a sweet spot in terms of bang for buck.

After that, the higher spec M550i will arrive, ocsting an extra $15,000 over the Pure (for a $149,900 total), adding ‘Adaptive M Suspension Professional’ which includes Active Anti-Roll Stabilisation and BMW’s real-wheel steering, called Integral Active Steering.

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The full version of the M550i also gets Laserlight headlights instead of LEDs, soft-close doors, an instrument panel finished in leather, ambient air and ionisation, a sunroof, and metallic paint.

The sunroof and metallic paint are options on the Pure variant for $3000 and $2000 respectively.

The M550i will launch a little later than the Pure in Q2 2020.