BMW 123d 2011 News

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 spread of the dealer network aims to keep up with demand caused by a booming population and Australia's strong economy.  Within two years, BMW will see $40 million spent on new or refurbished outlets as it shoots for 50 national dealerships.These include a second dealership in Perth ($15 million), expanded Doncaster (Victoria) premises ($10 million), a North Shore Sydney franchise ($8 million) and a new dealer at Tweed Heads.  The Perth dealership, to be built this year by the existing franchisee, is in the city's expanding northern suburbs.BMW Australia managing director Stavros Yallouridis says the expansion reflects the mechandising concept that takes the product closer to the buyer.  "We are, to a degree, a product for the impulsive buyer," he says."We have to go to the buyer and that redefines the distribution of our products. In many cases, as we expand our products with smaller cars, we have to be in city areas that demand small cars in order to sell to our target market."Yallouridis says the car market was aiming for record highs and, in BMW's case, highlighted by the 1-Series, X1, 5-Series and 7-Series."The X3 comes in next year and there's the 1-Series hatch and coupe, so sales will expand further," he says.The Audi Centre in Perth is more than doubling its floor area, taking over a neighbouring property in the high-end car retail suburb of Osborne Park. The suburb also hosts Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz.The additional building will accommodate the new 26-car showroom - effectively 2.5 times bigger than present - to display one of each of Audi's models.  Dealer principal David Collins says the investment of about $15 million was necessary."The customers demand it and we desperately need the space because of the growth in Audi sales," he says.  "In 2004 we had 120 new car sales. Now we have 1050."Audi's sales are higher than BMW's when you take out the SUVs.  "I've ordered 250 units of the A1 for 2011 because of demand."  Collins says the Q5 was "the most successful car I've ever been involved with".He says it reflects the growing trend of buyers seeking to downsize their cars yet retain quality and luxury.  BMW has recorded a 10.4 per cent national sales growth year-to-date and, with global sales this calendar year of 775,000, has surpassed Mercedes-Benz (735,000) and Audi (726,000).It has since January sold 1156 of its baby X1 SUV - now its third most popular single-body seller after the 3-Series (3326) and X5 (1955) - for 2 per cent of Australia's passenger-car market.Audi has 1.7 per cent of the car market, primed by sales year-to-date of 1458 A3s and 2521 A4s, and Mercedes-Benz has 2.6 per cent thanks primarily to its E-Class stranglehold of the $70,000-plus large luxury car sector and the robust 4242 C-Class sales.