BMW 220d News

Major engine enhancements to BMW's entry-level M Performance models will arrive before the end of the year.The Bavarian brand says it will "pass the baton" from the existing turbocharged six-cylinder engines powering M135i and M235i models to the typically more powerful and less thirsty new engine that will launch in models dubbed M140i and M240i.The upgrade affects three models in Australia: the M135i five-door hatch, M235i coupe and M235i convertible.The power boost is backed by a 7 per cent drop in fuel use, with the claimed official consumption now down to 7.9L/100km. As is becoming the norm with most makers, performance increases despite the engines being less thirsty.In this case 0-100km/h times are down to 4.6 seconds using the eight-speed auto that is already on M Performance models here. The convertible's extra mass adds 0.1 second.Power increases from the current 240kW/450Nm to 250kW/500Nm — incredibly, that matches the figures of the bahn-storming 1 Series M coupe cult car built in 2011-12.That car has only now been superseded by the M2 coupe, which can run to 100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, thanks to outputs of 262kW/465Nm, trick componentry and weight-saving measures.Prices for the existing M Performance models start at $62,900 for the M135i and top out at $86,500 for the M235i convertible.Expect minor increases across the range, given the engine updates are likely to be backed by refreshed fenders and features.BMW Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher says the new powertrain should fuel already strong local demand for the company's performance variants."We don't have any specifics other than the release at this point but we do know Australians will welcome the added performance," she says."Until the arrival of the M2 the M135i and M235i models were our go-to hot hatch and fast coupe respectively and there is still a big market that appreciates a good engine without wanting to engage every day with a full-on M model."The gear ratios in the eight-speed auto have been stretched to match the extra power.Drivers can choose to perform multiple downshifts on the paddle-shifters when entering a corner, with the car then matching ratios to revs as they drop.Left in auto mode, the transmission can employ predictive shifting — checking with the satnav to match ratios with the contours of the road.

Half-time is typically a time for reflection.With six months of 2015 gone — and the official sales results arriving last week — it's time to look at what was hot and what was not in showrooms this year.At a glance, small cars are out and tiny SUVs are in. Diesels and hybrids are out, and turbocharged petrol cars are in. Luxury brands are in demand, local cars are not.Honda and Isuzu sales are surging, Ford and Holden have hit new lows.Sales of baby SUVs are up by 23 per cent in the first half of the year, thanks to the arrival of new offerings from Mazda and Honda. The surprise last month was that Honda's HR-V outsold Mazda's CX-3, despite a get-in price that is $5000 more than the baby Mazda. Buyers are no doubt attracted by the roominess of the Honda's cabin, which shares the clever design of its donor vehicle, the Jazz. Mitsubishi has also benefited from the increased showroom interest in this type of vehicle, with sales of its ASX surging by more than 45 per cent.They share their underpinnings with the new breed of SUVs, but they haven't been hurt by their arrival. Honda again leads the charge, with sales of its City sedan and Jazz hatch surging. Sales of the all-new Mazda2 are also strong and it remains best-selling car in the class. Other models that have captured the imagination of buyers are the evergreen Suzuki Swift and Toyota Yaris, as well as the Volkswagen Polo, which is up by more than 50 per cent thanks to sharp pricing.Low interest rates mean that a luxury badge is now within reach of more car buyers. As a result Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus are all enjoying double-digit growth. Understandably, most of the action is at the lower end of the market, with models high on the shopping list including BMW's Mini (up 59 per cent) and Audi's A3 (up 23 per cent). BMW's new 2 Series coupe and Lexus's NX small SUV have also launched with a bang, but the biggest success story is CarsGuide's 2014 Car of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which has doubled its sales in the first half of the year.Somebody is cashing in on Australia's property boom, with sales of sports cars costing more than $200,000 rising more than 20 per cent, albeit off a low base. Ferrari and Lamborghini dealerships are busy this year, with Ferrari logging 95 local sales compared with 52 in the same period last year and Lamborghini jumping from just seven sales to 60. The segment's most popular car, the Porsche 911, also enjoyed solid growth. At the other end of the spectrum, sales of affordable sports cars slumped as the initial shine predictably wore off the Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ and Hyundai Veloster. That will change, though, when Mazda's all-new MX-5 arrives in the second half of the year.They're big news in Japan and Europe, but micro cars haven't captured the Australian car buying public's imagination. Despite the arrival of an all-new model in the Suzuki Celerio and a midlife update for the Nissan Micra, sales are down by almost a third.They're still the nation's car of choice, but the arrival of baby SUVs has put a dent in the popularity of the small-car brigade led by the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3. This time last year, the Mazda3 was the top-selling vehicle in Australia, but sales this year are down by almost 10 per cent, cannibalised by the newer and funkier CX-3. Toyota, which has no mini-SUV in its range, fared better with the Corolla, which almost held its own in a market segment that shrank by 10,000 cars.When locally made cars began to slide in popularity, most pundits said it was because they were too big and thirsty, but the figures show otherwise. Large cars are down by 14 per cent this year, but medium and large SUVs have enjoyed solid growth. Toyota's Camry, which has a hybrid version, has fared better than the rest of the locals, but the Holden Cruze small car has experienced a bigger sales slide than Ford's Falcon and Territory. Overall, the prognosis remains bleak. Australians bought almost as many German-made cars as locally-made ones in the first six months.The Europeans are mad for it — and most 4WD utes use it too — but Australians, it seems, don't like getting their hands dirty. After an initial spike in interest in diesel passenger cars and SUVs among private buyers and fleets between 2005 and 2010, the interest continues to wane. Sales of diesel passenger cars grew sixfold from 2005 to 2010, while diesel SUV sales more than doubled. But in the first six months of this year — and on the back of a decline last year — sales of diesel cars fell by more than a quarter. Diesel SUV sales were stagnant despite big growth in overall SUV sales.Honda - up 33.4 per centIsuzu - up 30.3 per centSkoda - up 30.2 per centRenault - up 30.1 per centLexus - up 24.9 per centFord - down 17.6 per centVolvo - down 16.6 per centFiat - down 16.4 per centHolden - down 8.9 per centNissan - down 0.6 per centToyota - 101,714 - up 0.6 per centMazda - 56,591 - up 9 per centHolden - 51,737 - down 8.9 per centHyundai - 50,099 - up 1 per centMitsubishi - 35,866 - up 9.8 per centFord - 34,810 - down 17.6 per centNissan - 32,950 - down 0.6 per centVolkswagen - 32,020 - up 12.1 per centSubaru - 21,659 - up 8.1 per centHonda 20,602 - up 33.4 per centToyota Corolla - 21,750Mazda3 - 20,427Toyota HiLux - 18,781Hyundai i30 - 15,801Ford Ranger - 14,144Holden Commodore - 13,769Mitsubishi Triton - 13,709Mazda CX-5 - 12,489Volkswagen Golf - 11,829Toyota Camry - 10,426

BMW is no stranger to front-wheel drive platforms for its Mini brand, but has always promoted the driving dynamics of rear-wheel drive for its own badge. However the times have changed, and the German prestige carmaker has just revealed its first front-wheeler, the  2 Series Active Tourer.The new multi-purpose vehicle will get a global debut at Geneva motor show next month, before rolling out into showrooms to face off against the Mercedes B-Class later this year. But BMW is already releasing official images and details of the vehicle -- and promising that its front-wheel driving experience still retains the dynamic quality the brand has made its byword, and "oozes sportiness from every angle".This is BMW's first foray into the MPV segment, and the brand is pointing to the functionality made possible by the front-wheel drive platform, which -- coupled with versatile seat configuration -- is claimed to make the most of the interior spaceThe rear seat slides and the backrest split-folds 40:20:40 to optimise the layout for either passengers or luggage, with the latter's 468-litre capacity able to rise to 1510L. A large rear tailgate -- with optional push-button or electronic foot-operation -- gives access to the boot, with a foldable  floor covering an additional hidden storage compartment with a divided tray. Under the bonnets are choices of compact turbo engines, with the range kicking off with the 218i Active Tourer's economical new 1.5-litre three-cylinder developing 100kW of power and claiming a fuel figure of 4.9L/100km mated to a six-speed manual transmission.The fuel hero 218d Active Tourer is powered by a 110kW/330Nm four-cylinder turbodiesel claiming combined fuel economy of 4.1L/100km, 0-100km/h time of 8.9 seconds and top speed of 205km/h. The range-topper for the launch is the 225i Active Tourer with a four-cylinder petrol engine developing 170kW and claiming combined fuel economy of 6.0L/100km, a 0-100km/h time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 235km/h.Fuel-saving features include engine stop-start, brake energy recuperation and optimum gearchange indicator, while dynamic ability is improved by the channelling of air from front bumper inlets along the front wheels. The interior gets the expected premium treatment, with a notable inclusion of the full-colour heads-up display system featured on the latest Mini, projecting information onto a screen behind the steering wheel rather than onto the windscreen like the rest of the BMW range.BMW Australia is keen to get the 2 Series Active Tourer here and into our market, spokesperson Lenore Fletcher says, although adding it is too early to get an indication of loal pricing and specification."Obviously we are very interested -- it's an new kind of vehicle for BMW -- and it's on our schedule for Australia. Timing would be around late this year, or possibly early 2015."This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

As part of BMW's realignment -- and renumbering -- of its range, the new BMW 2 Series is hitting the sales floors in March priced from $50,500, a rise of $2500 over the 1 Series Coupe it is essentially replacing as a companion to the 1 Series Hatch range.The entry price gets you into a 220i Coupe, with the mid-range 220d diesel Coupe sitting at $52,500 and the range-topping, performance focused M235i Coupe at $79,900. The 1 Series currently offers 'M' spec only in a hatch version for $64,900, meaning you pay $15,000 extra for the coupe -- but also meaning it's still competitive against the $74,990 Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG hatch and might also be against the Audi RS3 currently in testing and tipped to be launched this year.The 220i carries turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine delivering 135kW of power and 270Nm of torque that peaks at a low 1250rpm. BMW is promising a 0-100km/h time of 7.0 seconds fuel economy of 6.0l100km.The efficiency leader is the 220d's four-cylinder TwinPower turbodiesel at 4.4L/100km, also with 135kW but a hefty 380Nm of torque, and official 0-100km/h time of 7.1 seconds.The M235i's turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder delivers 240kW of power -- 5kW more than that M135i hatch -- and 450Nm of torque, getting to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, shaving 0.1 off the M1351 with the same eight-speed sports auto gearbox -- but coming in 0.2 behind the A45 AMG.The transmission -- mated to all three engines -- features a launch control mode and F1-style steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. BMW is also expected to continue to offer the M135i's six-speed manual, however full specification details will not be available until closer to the launch date.BMW 2 Series pricesBMW 220i Coupé $50,500BMW 220d Coupé $52,500BMW M235i Coupé $79,900This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

This is the 2 Series Cabrio and BMW promises more style and sports feel despite the open-air cabin.