You could say diesel engines are past their prime in Europe where their popularity has been declining for consecutive years. The Volkswagen Group’s messy Dieselgate scandal ignited the controversy, driving some people away from buying oil-burners. Concomitantly, tougher emissions regulations are forcing automakers to slim down their diesel offerings.

BMW is holding on to its diesels for now, although the bonkers quad-turbo, inline-six B57D30S0 unit was dropped a few years ago. The smaller B47 is sticking around, as evidenced by this new 520d Touring. Photographed in Slovakia, the G61 looks smart in Phytonic Blue while riding on 20-inch wheels. You’ll be paying extra to get the paint and these two-tone 938 M alloys. As you can imagine, the M Sport Package is also an option.

While this luxury wagon has xDrive, BMW also sells the long-roof 520d with a cheaper rear-wheel-drive layout. In both instances, the four-cylinder 2.0-liter unit uses a mild-hybrid 48V setup. It has 197 horsepower and 400 Newton-meters (295 lb-ft) of torque in a car that weighs 1,895 kilograms (4,178 pounds) if xDrive is installed. The RWD model is 60 kg (132 lbs) lighter.

Diesels have historically been popular for their excellent fuel economy outside the city. However, plug-in hybrids keep getting better, so someone who’s after efficiency might get a 530e/530e xDrive instead. BMW also sells a beefier 550e xDrive with a six-cylinder gasoline engine. Alternatively, you can have an inline-six diesel by opting for the 540d xDrive.

Add into the mix gasoline and electric derivatives, BMW has a 5 Series available regardless of your powertrain preferences. The lineup only comprises four- and six-cylinder engines but the M5 will get a beefy V8. It won’t be alone as the twin-turbo, 4.4-liter S68 will be at the heart of a plug-in hybrid system. With both sedan and wagon body styles planned, the M5 will nicely round off the 5 Series lineup. A new M550i with a pure gas V8 would be nice, but we can’t have it all.

[Photos: BMW Slovakia / Samuel Zaťko, https://www.instagram.com/samkoza]