Alpina B5 Bi-turbo blasts in
BY TIM NICHOLSON | 15th May 2018
ALPINA Automobiles Australia has launched its BMW 5 Series-based B5 Bi-turbo luxury sports sedan Down Under, expanding its line-up to four model lines including the B3 S, B4 S and B7.
Launched in Australia in late 2016 under then importer, The In Motion Group, Alpina Automobiles Australia was sold to Sydney-based dealership group, Autosports Group Ltd, in April 2017.
Since Autosports Group took over, it has reshuffled the model line-up and pricing and specification to make it more competitive against its rivals.
The standard versions of the B3 and B4 have been dropped in favour of the sportier B3 and B4 S, and pricing was cut by between $10-15,000 depending on the variant.
Alpina also dropped the originally determined price of the B5 prior to its launch by a touch under $30,000, leaving the bahn-storming German sedan a pricetag of $210,000 plus on-road costs.
Speaking to journalists at the local launch of the B5 in Melbourne this week, Alpina Automobiles Australia sales manager Phil Jeffery said there was some pre-launch interest in the B5, but he would not discuss specific sales targets.
“There are no official orders for the car but we certainly do have some pre-launch interest,” he said. “So we will be tackling our Australian database across our dealer network over the coming weeks and we would certainly expect there would be some real success stories out of that.
“We are talking about a product that is incredibly bespoke. The production numbers are limited, they are limited for a reason. We certainly have no overzealous expectations or illusions that we are going to knock the doors down, but we will do very well with the product.
“We won’t talk about how many cars we have sold to date, but I can confirm that every Alpina dealer across Australia is selling Alpina product. There is not a single dealer that is not selling the Alpina brand in terms of consumers purchasing from their dealers.”
Mr Jeffery said the delivery time for an Alpina B5 in Australia was about four to five months after it is ordered. The B5 Bi-turbo Touring wagon is not being offered in Australia at this stage due to low volume expectations.
As reported, the B5 is powered by a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine producing 447kW of power from 5750 to 6250rpm and 800Nm of torque between 3000 and 5000rpm.
It uses a tweaked version of BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system and employs a ZF eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
It can cover the 0-100km/h dash in 3.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 330km/h, while its official combined cycle fuel consumption figure is 10.3 litres per 100km and CO2 emissions are rated at 239g/km.
The Alpina’s $210,000 pricetag puts it in competition with a number of other high-performance large sedans and liftbacks, including the Audi S7/RS7 ($180,428/$261,511), Mercedes-Benz E63 ($209,611), Maserati Ghibli S GranSport or GranLusso ($195,990), Lexus GS F ($153,351) as well as the BMW M5 that is priced from $199,900 in Launch Edition guise.
Mr Jeffery said Alpina’s strategy was to fit each model with a strong standard features list, while offering buyers a number of options and options packages to personalise their car.
“We have specced the B5 and the B4 and B3 S in a similar way – we haven’t put everything in the car. We have maintained a level of standard equipment that would suit a luxury sedan, as you would expect, but we are certainly giving customers the choice of being able to add a few fine-tune (options) that make more sense to their lifestyle choice or personal want.
“Certainly that one helps with our price point at the front, but it also gives the client the opportunity to make the car more theirs, rather than something you would get from a manufacturer which is just one spec option and that is it – no choice.”
Standard specification includes the classic Alpina 20-inch, 20-spoke forged alloy wheels with specially designed Pirelli P Zero tyres, front and rear spoiler, rear apron with quad tail pipes, production plaque with the production number of the vehicle, Alpina suspension with an Alpina-specific Comfort+ mode, adaptive LED headlights, LED tail- and foglights, illuminated Alpina door sills, and an Alpina exhaust system.
It also features a BMW Display Key, Navigation System Professional, BMW online services, four-zone automatic air-conditioning, a 10.2-inch colour display screen, keyless entry and start, electric glass sunroof, DAB+ digital radio, front comfort seats, a 12-speaker audio system, head-up display,
Nappa leather upholstery, front and rear heated seats, Alpina instruments, Alpina steering wheel and ambient lighting.
Safety wise it gains active cruise control with stop and go, the Driving Assistant and Driving Assistant Plus active safety suite, Emergency Call, front and rear parking sensors, automatic parking, rain-sensing wipers and a tyre pressure monitor.
The lengthy options list includes Lavalina leather upholstery ($12,253 to $22,244), a limited-slip differential ($5923), an electric towbar ($2262), ventilated front seats ($1454), massaging front seats ($1866), television function ($2065), Apple CarPlay support ($566) and a Bowers & Wilkins sound system ($8766).
