BMW M550i getting a serious power upgrade for 2020

Other members of the 5 family will benefit from updates, too.

BMW is giving the V8-powered M550i (pictured) a serious power upgrade for the 2020 model year. Some of the other members of the 5 Series family will also receive updates at the same time, the company confirmed.

The M550i is positioned right below the M5. For 2020, it will ship with a twin-turbocharged, 4.4-liter V8 engine tuned to deliver 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. These numbers put it on par with the coupe and the convertible variants of the M850i. To add context, the 2019 M550i uses the same engine but its output checks in at 456 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque.

The rest of the drivetrain stays the same. The eight-cylinder spins the four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive system. The company hasn't revealed what effect the extra power has on performance, but it should be seriously quick. Besides, no one has ever called the 2019 model slow; it takes 3.9 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop.

The extra power was originally announced for the Euro-spec M550i. BMW confirmed to Motor1 that the American-spec model will receive it as well.

At the other end of the spectrum, the plug-in hybrid 530e will enter the 2020 model year with a new battery pack that unlocks more electric driving range. We don't know precisely how far it will be able to go, though the current model offers up to 15 miles of range, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pricing information will be released in the weeks leading up to the 2020 5's on-sale date.