BMW 116i News

From the age of 16, Calvin Luk dreamt of designing for BMW. Now he's one of the key people in the company's exterior production design studio in Germany. His first complete car will be public later in the year, but the 1 Series work is already on the road in Europe and he has a big grin."I'm enjoying it here. There is no reason to think about anything else. It was always a dream to come here," Luk tells CarsGuide.He wrote to BMW after visiting the Sydney Motor Show in the 1990s, took the company's advice to study at the Art Centre College of Design in California, then interned at BMW before being offered a full-time job."I always stayed in touch with the BMW team while I was studying. Once you leave Australia, that's it, you better make something out of it. It's a big commitment to leave home."The impression from front and rear is that it's almost a new carThat commitment is now reflected in his work on BMW production cars, starting with the 1 Series."It's a facelift. But it's the whole front and rear end," he says. "A lot of the change is being driven by the new components underneath, like the new light modules and air requirements for new engines."Overall, the impression from front and rear is that it's almost a new car."Sydney-born Luk says his background gives him a global view of the car business.What you consider important is coming from many facets at the same time"It's not just being Australian, but it's also studying in California and my Asian heritage from Hong Kong. Then you're living in Germany in Munich. What you consider important is coming from many facets at the same time."He has worked with BMW for nearly seven years, starting with the advanced design studio, and loves the competitive element to his job. That starts with concept sketches, runs through a contest to create the best design and models for a new car, to the final production work."I think it's exciting. Without competition you don't have the same sort of drive to make the best out of the project. It's much more exciting and thrilling, and it keeps you on your toes." Luk says working at BMW gives him both challenges and satisfaction.Customers expect more that they cannot get in other cars"You have to respect the brand. Part of the customer expectation is to buy a BMW at the end of the day, so you don't want to throw them something that's unrelated," he says."You add to the story. But you do have more freedom because you are a premium product, and you can invest more. And customers expect more that they cannot get in other cars."

We'll see three new entrants due to lob within the next 12 months, including Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class.It will be joined in the fray by Audi's new A3 and the new Volvo V40, a shorter, hatchback variant of the S60 sedan for want of a better description.All are five door hatchbacks with front wheel drive. BMW's stylistically challenged 1-Series is the only rear wheel drive. Although some manufacturers are reluctant to admit it, the main competition for all players is VW?s super popular Golf.CLEAN SHEETThe Benz is a clean sheet project having nothing at all in common with the previous A-Class mini people mover. That job has been ceded to the new Benz B-Class and it's an effective device for everyday family motoring. New A-Class is taking Benz in a totally new direction that will open up a wider and younger customer base to the three pointed star. Early kick-off price guesstimates are in the $35,000 range.DIGITAL NATIVESIt's a car precisely targeting the Gen Y and Xers (so called Digital Natives) replete with a full array of connectivity right down to being able to seamlessly hook up your iPad or iPhone to the in-car info/control system.It will be a smart phone on wheels offering a smooth transition from a digital lifestyle to a digital driving style. And get this, there's a virtual co-driver you can question or instruct to operate in-car functions.LOOKSThe stunning looker, which bears a remarkable similarity to the A Concept of 2011, will be made in Germany, Hungary and tellingly, China. And we can expect a few other variants built on the same front wheel drive platform (moving to all wheel drive when AMG gets its hands on A-Class).UNDER THE BONNETIt will be powered by a range of existing and a couple of new Benz turbo direct injection petrol and turbodiesel engines rated from 80kW through to 155kW with capacities ranging from 1.6 through to 2.1-litres. Benz hasn't confirmed it but a three door hatch variant should become available a little further down the track and possibly a drop top cabriolet.Benz's performance partner AMG has been enlisted to develop certain A-Class parts so they have intimate knowledge of the car already. The A250 Sport enjoys significant AMG input. New A-Class will be offered with six-speed manual and seven-speed dual clutch manumatic transmissions and all models will have auto stop/start to optimise fuel economy.Camtronic that alters valve lift in the petrol engines for peak efficiency will also make an appearance. An 'Eco' mode will be available to squeeze out the last kilometre in fuel economy if you drive carefully.ACRONYMS R USBenz won't hold back on the acronym features list either that will see the new baby Benz fitted with a speed limiter (Distronic), radar-based Collision Prevention Assist (CPA), Pre-Safe collision preparation and Lane Keeping Assist as well as Fatigue Alert and numerous other electronic driver and safety aids. They have filtered down from larger models as has the luxury inventory.STYLEIt has an assertive stance on the road with a masculine frontal appearance and deeply sculpted panels. The ride height is low and a striking "pointillist" style grille is available on some models. It looks ready to pounce from all angles and inside, the assertive, quality theme carries through with seats for four and a reasonable boot space.The dash is from funky town featuring an electroplated look to many surfaces and impressive audio and lighting spex. It rates a strong five stars in crash testing and boasts newly developed pedestrian safety technology. The multi-faceted headlights feature a bank of LEDs for daytime running, indicators and parking lights. It rates a low 0.26Cd for aerodynamic efficiency.VERDICTIf it goes as good as it looks the new A-Class could be a world beater. It has the potential to lift Mercedes-Benz to a new level with a wider audience and still maintain that prestige aura associated with the 110 year old automotive brand. We find out soon enough.

Kids aren’t usually a factor in Car of the Year judging.  But child friendliness rates highly with women buying cars – and with women judging cars.The countdown has been kicked off to decide the Women’s World Car of the Year, and the kid factor is one the judges pay a lot of attention to.“Statistics show that women drive children in cars significantly more often than men – and that means women need to take that into account, both when buying and as judges of cars,” WCOTY president Sandy Myhre said from New Zealand.“Any woman who has grappled constantly with child seats and belts and children considers those things when looking at buying a car.  Men might too but the fact is, women drive children in cars more than men.“Women would not consider that aspect in a Porsche 911 more than a bloke. The point is, it can be considered in these awards - and that is one of the points of difference in these awards.”Myhre points out that significant research into buying habits show that in addition to buying for themselves, women have a major influence in household purchase decisions for big ticket items.Ford Australia, for example, says their research shows that women are behind the majority of purchases of the Territory SUV – either as single women buying one, or in influencing the joint decision with their partner. “A report from Mattingly & Associates in Australia concluded, in part, that businesses that didn't understand this influence would be hard-pressed to stay in business.  That report was aptly called 'When I've Made Up Our Minds',” Myhre says.However, the kid factor is just one of the criteria by which the 2012 Women’s World Car of the Year will be judged.There are four categories in the Women's World Car of the Year – Family Car, Luxury Car, Sports Car and Economy Car. Points are allocated to each of ten criteria: driveability, engineering, comfort, child friendliness, style, interior, storage, dashboard efficiency, carbon footprint and colour range.The 20 judges from eleven countries have submitted their own personal short list and more than 300 cars were suggested. These individual choices were then whittled down to form a master list of 32 in terms of popularity. Judges will now allocate points for these cars from a criteria list.The announcement of the winning cars in each category and the supreme winner will be made before the end of March. The supreme award trophy and category certificates will be presented to the car companies concerned at the Mondial de l’Automobile 2012 – the Paris Motor Show – in September. The supreme trophy will this year be made in The Netherlands. Category-winner certificates will be designed at Peartree Studios in Colerne, UK.The first winner of the Women's World Car of the Year was the Jaguar XF in 2010 and the trophy made in South Africa was presented at the Jaguar boutique showroom in Knightsbridge, London. In 2011 there was a dead-heat between the Citroen DS3 and the BMW 5 Series. The two trophies made in India were presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2011. 

Hundreds of new and updated cars arrive in Australia each year but only one is good enough to make the honour role for Carsguide COTY.This time around the prize fight is tougher than ever, with new arrivals for 2011 covering every size and price class, from the ordinary Chery J1 from China to the exotic Ferrari 458 Italia from Italy. Neither of them makes the COTY cut, but that's another story ...The reach for COTY 2011 contenders actually stretches back to the final months of last year, to include a couple of cars that just missed the 2011 cutoff, and this time around the newcomers must have hit showrooms by December 1.So, unfortunately, the all-new Toyota Camry is a non-starter. It's the same for the make-or-break four-cylinder Falcon.But the class of 2011 covers all the bases, from affordable mini cars through family and prestige cars to a hot new coupe. The hopefuls come from Europe, Asia and Japan, as well as right home in Australia.Setting the field for 2011 was not easy, particularly with the outgoing champion - the Volkswagen Polo - still casting a considerable shadow.But each of the COTY judges, who cover the Carsguide contenders and drive them in all conditions from coast to coast, has called up their personal favourites from Alfa Romeo through to Volkswagen to help guide the selection process.Then it is the final cull by the COTY veterans to produce the top 10 for a gruelling two-day shootout to consider everything from design and safety through to value and their driving ability on a wide range of roads from Ford's You Yangs proving ground to freeways, suburban streets and gravel roads on the outskirts of Melbourne.The field is set, the race is about to be run, but we cannot get ahead of ourselves.So here are the 10 COTY contenders ... now it's over to the judges: 

BMW 1 Series, from $39,593Several impressive new BMWs hit the road in Australia in 2011 and the pocket rocket 1 M is a Carsguide driving favourite. But it's the overall 1 Series range that is the best ambassador for the brand, even ahead of a new X3 that has most of the strengths of the original X5.The new One is a major improvement and refinement of the original One and introduces the idea of streamlining the options at BMW, taking the fight right up to Audi and Benz with sharp pricing for the 116i starter car.Gover says: The original 1 Series was a big breakthrough at the bottom end for BMW and its replacement is impressive, but I'm not a fan of the puffed-up nose or seemingly-endless options.

...a sure starter for Europe next year but not so certain here.Fewer doors do it no harm. Same cracking engines, same brilliant rear wheel dynamics, nicer lines.

...but it's not the only sports update in the family.BMW's M division is also working on an upgrade for the regular 135i hatch that is part of the upcoming renewal of the 1 Series line-up.

The new 1 will get slightly bigger and more refined to leave space for an all-new baby car - the 0 Series? - to slide in below it. The newcomer will introduce front-wheel drive to the BMW range and will also share a lot of its running gear with a smaller Mini starter car.The next 1 Series should go public before the end of this year, which is how Carparazzi could a car during testing in Germany. The thinly-disguised five-door prototype shows the prominent grille, sportier bumpers and production tail lights that will be used on the car, as well as the slimmer C-pillar design being used to improved side and rear visibility.Carparazzi confirms BMW's plan for another full range of 1 Series models, from three and five-door hatches to a coupe and convertible. There could also be a longer, two-door wagon-hatch model in the style of the upcoming Mercedes 'shooting brake'.Powerplants will be updated to boost power and cut emissions and fuel use, but Carparazzi still predicts a range of petrol and diesel engines from 1.4 to 3.0-litres in capacity - as well as a hybrid.

The explosive growth of the BMW model range is about to be defused in Australia, with the line-up being trimmed to cut competition and duplication, making it easier for customers in showrooms.The plan is to have only three choices of any individual model, with two petrol engines and one diesel.The current list includes 36 individual models in the 3 Series sedan line-up ... without counting the coupe, convertible or station wagon.“We get a lot of questions about whetherwe have too many models,” BMW Australia managing director Guenther Seemann says.“I think we do have too many.”He believes BMW must cut the choices to streamline business, though he says there will still be all-new models in future — with the X6 four-wheel-drive and M3 sedan up next — asthe German company looks for customers.The work has begun, though there are a dozen individual BMW lines, from the baby 1 Series to the four-wheel-drive X5 and flagship 7 Series, with 50 official engine choices. BMW has 189 individual models on the list.“We've already begun tidying up. The 116i hatch has been removed from the range, there are the manuals in the 3 Series and one of the X3 manuals,” Seemann says.“In the 5 Series range, one of the V8s will go.I believe for each and every model line-up in the future, as we add models, we need two petrol and one diesel variant in each case. No more. We have so many different model lines, it is not practical or possible to display them all in a showroom.”He says it will take time to get things sorted, partly because there are so many models.“It will happen in the next two years. Globally, there are five petrol and five diesel engine choices. And that is just in the 3 Series range,” Seemann says. But there is definitely space for some additions, like the four-door M3 sedan.“We will bring the four-door version, but I do not know at what price. We have to price it lower than the M3 two-door.” 

The explosive growth of the BMW model range is about to be defused in Australia. The line-up is being trimmed to cut competition and duplication, making it easier for customers in showrooms.The plan is to have only three choices of any individual model, with two petrol engines and one diesel. The current list includes 36 individual models in the 3 Series sedan line-up . . . without counting the coupe, convertible or station wagon.“We get a lot of questions about whether we have too many models. I think we do have too many,” BMW Australia managing director Guenther Seemann says.He believes BMW must cut the choices to streamline business, though he says there will still be all-new models in future — with the X6 four-wheel drive and M3 sedan up next — as the German company looks for customers.The work has begun, though there are a dozen individual BMW lines, from the baby 1 Series to the four-wheel-drive X5 and flagship 7-Series, with 50 official engine choices. BMW has 189 individual models on the list.“We've already begun tidying up. The 116i hatch has been removed from the range, there are the manuals in the 3 Series and one of the X3 manuals,” Seeman says.“In the 5 Series range, one of the V8s will go. I believe for each and every model line-up in the future, as we add models, we need two petrol and one diesel variant in each case. No more. We have so many different model lines, it is not practical or possible to display them all in a showroom.He says it will take time to get things sorted, partly because there are so many models.“It will happen in the next two years. Globally, there are five petrol and five diesel engine choices. And that is just in the 3 Series range,” he says.But there is definitely space for some additions, like the four-door M3 sedan.“We are starting the business case. It looks good, I must say,” he says.“We will bring the four-door version, but I do not know at what price. We always follow the normal BMW pattern, where a two-door is more expensive than a four-door. We have to price it lower than the M3 two-door.”