BMW unveils dynamic, efficient models at JIMS

• New BMW 3 Series featuring EfficientDynamics
• New BMW 7 Series featuring EfficientDynamics
• BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid featuring EfficientDynamics

EfficientDynamics took centre stage at BMW South Africa’s stand at the Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS), which opened its doors today. BMW EfficientDynamics operates across the entire model range, as opposed to being installed in one or two eco-friendly niche models. The programme not only optimises the fuel consumption and carbon emission of BMW’s combustion engines, but also their performance.

This underlying philosophy underpins all three models unveiled at the Johannesburg International Motor Show – two of them fresh from their respective international debuts just a few weeks ago, whilst the third is a Concept model of a high performance hybrid.

The all new BMW 7 Series, substantially revised BMW 3 Series and BMW Concept X6 Hybrid are all worthy ambassadors of the BMW EfficientDynamics programme. BMW is totally focused on maximising, to the full benefit of our customers, performance whilst minimising fuel consumption and emissions.

“These previously mutually exclusive characteristics are made possible by technology that our closest competitors, despite bringing new cars to market after BMW, have not been able to match, let alone supersede,” Sales and Marketing Director, BMW South Africa commented Wilhelm Schmid, during his opening address at the Johannesburg International Motor Show.

 “In fact, our EfficientDynamics programme has already resulted in a number of awards, including the ‘Green Award’ in Great Britain, the ‘Green Steering Wheel’ in Germany and the ‘World Green Car of the Year’ for the BMW 118d’ he continued.

The new BMW 3 Series

The new refreshed BMW 3 Series is now even more attractive, more powerful and more economical. With the lowest carbon emissions, the new BMW 3 Series is best in class. The full range of new 3 Series models goes on sale from next with starting with the 320i Start as the entry level petrol model, with the 335i topping up the range. Class leading turbo diesel models consist of 320d and 330d engine derivatives. Both petrol and diesel models will be available with six manual and Steptronic transmission.

Highlights include:

• A range of engines that deliver the best combination of performance, fuel economy and low emissions.
• A newly developed in-line 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine in the BMW 330d, featuring an aluminium crankcase and third generation common rail direct injection. The power plant has a maximum power output of 180 kW with maximum torque of 520 Nm.
• Improved aerodynamics for better performance and economy.
• Refinement of the interior trim and the exterior design.
• New generation iDrive, similar to the unit featured in the new BMW 7 Series.
• Professional satellite navigation that also includes an 80 GB hard drive to not only store digital navigation maps, but can also be used for an extensive music collection as well.

Put this all together, with the best possible dynamics, and the BMW 3 series is expected to continue to be the class leader.

The new BMW 7 Series

BMW is truly proud of the fact that no other large sedan in the luxury segment combines driving dynamics and the “sheer driving pleasure”, with as much technology, style, comfort and luxury as the new BMW 7 Series. The predecessor model may have been the most successful 7 Series of all time in terms of sales. But the new model is once again expected to become the benchmark in the class.

The new BMW 7 Series is also evidence of BMW EfficientDynamics at work, providing real proof that size, luxury and efficiency can co-exist. It epitomises an important part of the vision of the BMW Group, of providing vehicles that offer not only class-leading dynamics, but are also efficient while having as small an impact as possible on the environment. The new BMW 7 Series’ efficiency is unrivalled.

Highlights include:

• A newly developed in-line 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine featuring aluminium crankcase and third generation common rail direct injection. The power plant has a maximum power output of 180 kW with maximum torque of 540 Nm. Key performance figures are a zero to 100km/h in 7, 2 seconds, a top speed of 245 km/h, average fuel consumption of 7, 2 litres per hundred kilometres and carbon emissions of 192 grams per kilometres.
• The world’s first Night Vision system with individual pedestrian recognition
• The world’s first production car with front side-view camera
• Rear wheel steering for greater agility
• The same revised iDrive and 80 GB hard drive-based Navigation system as found on the new 3 Series

The BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid

The principle of the two-mode active transmission in the BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid forms a significant milestone in BMW’s CleanEnergy strategy. This fulfils the demands made by a broad range of customers looking for a dynamic, economical and responsible form of motoring that shows hybrid benefits outside of the city environment as well.

BMW started to develop hybrid drives many years ago, long before the foundation of the Global Hybrid Cooperation. Indeed, BMW tested the electric drivetrain as early as in the late 1980s, for example in the BMW E1. And the BMW Group has been conducting research on hybrid technology and its various options for more than 15 years, making this technology and the results already obtained a firm part of the BMW X5 EfficientDynamics development strategy.

With the introduction of the BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid, BMW is proudly presenting the highest degree of maturity in hybrid technology seen so far.
A clear sign of the special status of the BMW ActiveHybrid concept is the presentation of this technology in combination with a brand new type of vehicle.

The difference between BMW technology and other hybrids:

• The combination of a high-efficiency and high-performance combustion engine with two high-performance electric motors. This allows the use of hybrid efficiency’s advantage across a much wider speed range.
• Substantially higher driving dynamics, as a hybrid developed by BMW will always be a car that reflects BMW’s philosophy of sheer driving pleasure.
• The fuel consumption of the BMW hybrid is up to 20 percent lower than that of a comparable vehicle with a combustion engine.

The BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid is the unusually attractive vision of a truly innovative vehicle virtually predestined for such cutting-edge drivetrain technology.
BMW Hybrid technology development has also recently been extended to four-cylinder turbo-charged powerplants, as well as to our 7 Series models. In terms market introduction of this technology, whilst we have not yet confirmed an exact date of introduction in South Africa, BMW ActiveHybrid models will go on sale in Europe during 2009.