BMW 3 Series 2014 News

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its latest round of safety recalls, with models from Ford, Mazda, BMW, Kia, Audi, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini affected.

A vote by 75 motoring journalists from 22 countries has awarded the compact prestige car the World Car of the Year award for 2015.It finished on top of a 24-car field and eventually beat the two other finalists, the Ford Mustang and Volkswagen Passat.The other big prizes for 2015, Green Car of the Year and Performance Car of the Year, went to the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 and the Mercedes-AMG GT coupe.The winners were announced at the New York Motor Show today at an event hosted by Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum at the culmination of a six-month voting process.The C-Class delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.The awards are in their 11th year and previous winners include the Audi A6, BMW 3 Series, Lexus LS460 and Volkswagen Golf, Polo and Up.To be eligible for the overall World Car award, candidate cars must have become available for sale on at least two continents between January 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015.The WCOTY wins by Mercedes-Benz follow its victories in the Green Car contest in 2007 with the E320 Bluetec and 2012 with the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and its Luxury Car success with the S Class in 2014.“We are extremely delighted of winning the honour of World Car of the Year,” says the chairman of Daimler, Dr Dieter Zetsche.The WCOTY victory follows a similar success for the C-Class in the CarsGuide Car of the Year award.The WCOTY judging panel says: “Taking its design and technological cues from the S-Class, the C-Class employs an all-new aluminium/steel hybrid platform and updated rear-drive powertrains that delivers levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class.” WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2015Overall winner: Mercedes-Benz C-ClassGreen Car: BMW i8Performance Car: Mercedes-AMG GTLuxury Car: Mercedes-Benz S CoupeDesign: Citroen CactusPREVIOUS WORLD COTY WINNERS:2014: Audi A32013: Volkswagen Golf2012: Volkswagen Up2011: Nissan Leaf2010: Volkswagen Polo2009: Volkswagen Golf2008: Mazda22007: Lexus LS4602006: BMW 3 Series2005: Audi A6

If you're looking for a new set of wheels, economists say buying a car now is the most affordable it's been since 1976.CommSec compared how many weeks of wages are needed to pay for a standard new Ford or Holden.An average income earner today has to toil for 25.4 weeks to purchase a Ford Falcon XT auto sedan.Four years ago, it took 32 weeks of work to pay for an equivalent model. A decade ago it took 37 weeks.A Holden Commodore Executive V6 auto costs 27.9 weeks in average wages, down from 31.8 weeks four years ago and 37 weeks a decade ago.CommSec's Savanth Sebastian said wages growth off the back of the mining boom had driven up affordability.While pay packets were easing, car manufacturer competition was expected to help contain future prices.CommSec's research found that a BMW 318i four-door auto was worth 41.4 weeks of work for an average earner now, compared with 55.2 weeks a decade ago.For those with plenty of cash, a Porsche Boxster will set you back 72.8 weeks' worth of average wages. That compares with 121.5 weeks in 2004.

THE Audi A3 small car -- which owes much of its DNA to the Volkswagen Golf -- has won the 2014 World Car of the Year, as voted by 69 jurors from 22 countries. The luxury hatch toppled the widely-tipped favourite, the Mazda3 from Japan, in the awards announced at the New York motor show today.The Audi A3 was among five German cars that took out a cleansweep of the 2014 World Car of the Year categories, and it was Audi’s second win in 10 years, having won the inaugural award. Indeed, German cars have won seven of the past 10 World Car of the Year awards, Japanese brands have won the remaining three.Accepting the award on behalf of the company, Audi's North America president Scott Keogh said: “The Audi A3 has only been on sale three weeks and already it’s off to a flying start.”Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi, said: “This major award win is an achievement that the whole company can celebrate.”The Audi A3 was among 24 finalists that included the BMW i3 electric car, which won the Green Car of the Year and the Car Design of the Year. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class was the Luxury Car of the Year while the Porsche 911 GT3 was awarded top performance car honours.But the Mazda3 had emerged as an early favourite for the outright World Car of the Year award following rave reviews globally since it went on sale late last year. The previous generation Mazda3 has been Australia’s top selling car for two of the past three years, and was the vehicle that ended the Holden Commodore’s record 15-years as the market leader, in 2011.The Mazda3 is returned to the top of the sales charts so far this year -- after being overtaken by the Toyota Corolla in 2013 -- and is likely to take out top-seller status this year buoyed by the new model which went on sale in January.World car of the year winners2014 – Audi A32013 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk72012 -- Volkswagen Up2011 -- Nissan Leaf2010 -- Volkswagen Polo2009 -- Volkswagen Golf Mk62008 -- Mazda22007 -- Lexus LS4602006 -- BMW 3 Series2005 -- Audi A62014 World Car of The Year category winnersGreen car of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carCar Design of the Year -- BMW i3 electric carPerformance Car of the Year -- Porsche 911 GT3Luxury Car of the Year – Mercedes-Benz S-ClassThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

THE price tags at Nick Theodossi's North Melbourne prestige car showroom would plunge dramatically if calls for the scrapping of the 5 per cent tariff on imported cars and the luxury car tax are taken up by the government.As Joe Hockey yesterday confirmed the government would consider dropping the imposts after the departures of Ford, Toyota and Holden left no carmaking industry to protect, car buyers were contemplating savings of more than $10,000 on a $93,000 BMW 335i sedan, and significantly higher price cuts on six-figure vehicles.Dealers like Mr Theodossi, who have long opposed the protection given to the local car manufacturing industry, were cautiously welcoming the possibility that high-end brands such as BMW, Audi and Land Rover might soon be within reach of mainstream buyers. Mr Theodossi, 62, said he was yet to be convinced the government would follow the recommendation of leading economists and scrap the luxury car tax, but it would be a massive boost for the industry -- and consumers -- if it happened."I can't see the government scrapping it, but it would be fantastic if they did," he said. "Everybody could buy a Mercedes." After the Australian Automotive Association this week called for the scrapping of the tariffs on imported cars in the wake of the demise of the Australian car manufacturing industry, the Treasurer said yesterday the idea would be considered."The car industry is not going until 2017, but this is something that will certainly be considered by our review of taxation, which will occur in the next 18 months or so, and certainly before the next election," Mr Hockey said. The import tariff raises about $900m a year, and the luxury car tax about $400m a year.While the removal of the 5 per cent tariff on imported passenger cars could cut several hundred dollars or more off the cost of a mid-range car such as a Mazda 3, expensive cars that attracted the tariff and the luxury car tax could fall by thousands of dollars. Mr Theodossi said he thought consumers rather than dealers would be the main winners if the tax was abolished.His most expensive car in stock is a 2013 Bentley Continental Coupe, which although he can sell it for less, retails for $500,000 excluding GST. With fuel consumption of 9.9L/100km, it does not meet the government's fuel efficiency threshold of 7L/100km, and is taxed at a rate of 33 per cent on the portion of the price of the car above $60,316, making the luxury car tax (LCT) component of the price $145,095. The scrapping of the LCT would therefore reduce the price of the Bentley from $500,000, to $354,904. Trade Prestige Cars dealer Stephen Curtain said he believed the case for abolishing the imported and luxury car taxes was compelling."If they're charging the tax to try to protect Australian car manufacturers and there are now no Australian car manufacturers, it makes no sense to keep it." Mr Curtain predominantly deals in used luxury cars, but said he expected sales of new high-end cars to increase significantly if the tax was scrapped. "No doubt if someone knocks $8000 or $10,000 off the price of a car, that will drive up sales of luxury cars."Ateco Automotive executive chairman Neville Crichton, whose Sydney-based group owns dealerships that sell vehicles ranging from the Chinese-made Chery to Italy's Maserati, said he had no doubt that tariffs and the luxury car tax should be scrapped."The luxury car tax was put in place to protect the local producers with the (Holden) Statesman -- they don't make those cars any more," Mr Crichton said. "It's become a revenue situation rather than a protectionist tariff. I think the luxury tax is extremely unfair."He said car prices would plunge if they were scrapped. "Right now, if you look at a $600,000 Ferrari, close to 30 per cent of that is going to the luxury car tax. It doesn't take Einstein to work out that suddenly that $600,000 car becomes a $400,000 car," he said."It'll open the market up considerably." But he said BMW and Audi would be the big winners. "The brands that would certainly benefit would be Land Rover, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Maserati. There's still only a limited amount of people who would want to own a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. It would bring a lot of the BMW and Audi range into a normal car bracket again."ADDITIONAL REPORTING: SID MAHER, DARREN DAVIDSON, MARK SCHLIEBS 

A member of the 2013 Australia's Best Cars judging panel says motorists are spoilt for choice right now. Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania general manager of roadside and technical Darren Moody -- who sits on the panel with judges from motorist clubs around Australia -- says new car buyers have access to record low interest rates and are still getting great value for money, despite a recent dip in the value of the Australian dollar.He and the 11 other judges from around the country had been trying to make life even easier for buyers, testing 50 vehicles in 15 categories for the 2013 best car awards.The awards, run by the Australian Automobile Association, involved all the state auto clubs. In October Mr Moody and the other judges spent six days at the Australian Automobile Research Centre at Anglesea in Victoria testing all the vehicles.The judges' choice this year was the Mazda6 Touring, winner of the category for best medium car under $50,000. "It brings premium features to the category," Mr Moody said. There was no winner in the people mover category this year. AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said it was the first time in the 13 years of the program that an award has been withheld."It's unfortunate that not one vehicle in that class meets the expectations of an Australia's Best Car," he said.Australia's Best Cars 2013Judges' choice: Mazda6 TouringBest light car: Renault Clio Expression TCe 120Best small car under $35,000: Hyundai i30 ActiveBest small car over $35,000: Audi A3 Sportback TFSI CoDBest medium car under $50,000: Mazda6 TouringBest medium car over $50,000: BMW 320iBest large car under $60,000: Holden Commodore VF SV6Best large car over $60,000: Lexus GS350 F SportBest people mover: Award withheldBest sports car under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTIBest sports car $50,000-$100,000: BMW M135iBest SUV under $45,000: Subaru Forester 2.5iBest SUV $45,000-$65,000: Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander CRDiBest Luxury SUV over $65,000: Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDIBest all-terrain 4WD under $100,000: Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6Best 4x4 Dual Cab Ute: Ford Ranger XLRead the full story here. 

None of us wants to crash our shiny new car but, if we do, we want to know we're safe. That's where the Australian New Car Assessment Program's standardised crash-testing analysis is invaluable, providing comparable ratings for vehicles of all types.The ANCAP site notes that a one-star car is twice as likely to kill you as a five-star model. Carsguide examines ANCAP's results to find the best of breed in each segment. It's worth noting the advanced software in some cars that readies the vehicle if a crash is imminent are disabled during the official tests. Cars are scored out of 37 points after the following tests.FRONTAL OFFSET TEST: The subject vehicle is accelerated to 64km/h and rammed into a deformable alloy barrier to simulate a head-on crash. To increase the severity and reproduce real-world conditions only 40 per cent of the car hits the wall - equating to a driver swerving to avoid an oncoming vehicle.SIDE IMPACT TEST: The T-bone hit rams a 950kg trolley into the side of the car at 50km/h. The sled has an alloy face to simulate the front of another vehicle, which deforms and absorbs some of the impact.PEDESTRIAN TEST: Simulates the results of hitting a pedestrian at 40km/h. The test assesses adult and child impacts, given their heads and limbs strike different areas of the car.POLE TEST: This is the most demanding test in the ANCAP repertoire. Trees and poles don't deform, so all the crash energy is transferred to the vehicle. The car is put on a sled and propelled towards a fixed steel pole at 29km/h.SAFEST SMALL CARSAUDI A3 36.41 See reviews of this carOfficially the best small car to occupy in an accident. Impressively, the windscreen pillar didn't move after a 64km/h hit with the concrete block.  HONDA INSIGHT 36.39 See reviews of this carIts score reflects a 3mm movement of the pillar in the frontal offset test and "slight risk" of serious leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 1 SERIES HATCH 36.33 See reviews of this carThere's a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver in the frontal and side crash test and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger in the frontal crash.   SAFEST MEDIUM CARSMERCEDES B-CLASS 36.78 See reviews of this carTops the charts with the highest score of any car in ANCAP database. Technically there's a 4mm movement of the front pillar and a slight risk of injury to the passenger leg closest the door.  BMW 3 SERIES 36.76 See reviews of this carBarely behind. It showed a 1mm movement of the pillar and there was a slight risk of serious injury to the driver's and passenger's legs.VOLVO V40 36.67 See reviews of this carThe only loss of points occurred during the frontal crash test, with a slight risk of serious injury to the front occupants' legs closest the door and the driver's chest.SAFEST LARGE CARSTOYOTA AURION 36.59 See reviews of this carFirst place in this class makes it the only locally built vehicle in any top-three line-up. There's a slight risk of lower leg injury for driver and passenger.   BMW 5 Series 36.53 See reviews of this carNot a bad place to be in the event of an accident either. It blitzed the side impact tests and only lost fractions of points in the head-on hit.    VOLVO S60 36.34 See reviews of this carSweden maintains its safety credentials. The passenger compartment stayed intact with only a 1mm movement of the front pillar.    SAFEST COMPACT SUVS SUBARU XV 35.53 See reviews of this carLike the slightly lower-riding Impreza, the XV scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.    HOLDEN TRAX 35.18 See reviews of this carThe surprise packet. One of the smaller cars in the class has only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.   Skoda Yeti 34.67 See reviews of this carDepite being one of the older examples in this segment, the Yeti still rates well for safety, with only a slight risk of serious leg injury for those in the front in a head-on crash.    SAFEST MEDIUM SUVSVOLVO XC60 36.53 See reviews of this carANCAP says the cabin 'held its shape extremely well" in the frontal test, with the pillar shifting just 3mm. There was a slight risk of serious chest and leg injuries to the driver.  FORD KUGA 36.33 See reviews of this carA solid second, posing a slight risk of serious chest injury for both front seat occupants. The front pillar moved 15mm.   HONDA CR-V 35.91 See reviews of this carPlaced well despite being penalised for the foot-operated park brake moving upwards and back. Structurally there was only a 2mm movement of the pillar.  SUBARU FORESTER 35.64 See reviews of this carTested this year, it scored highly in all crashes, with a slight risk of injury to the front occupants' chests and legs.   SUBARU OUTBACK 35.52 See reviews of this carFills the brand's quinella. Crashed in 2008 and at the time topped the charts as the safest vehicle ANCAP had tested. SAFEST LARGE SUVSMERCEDES-BENZ ML 36.34 See reviews of this car Luxury SUV has a slight risk of serious chest injury for driver and passenger in the head-on hit and a slight risk of serious leg injury for the passenger. The pillar moved 2mm. RANGE ROVER 36.19 See reviews of this carBig Brit has a slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver and the pillar shifted by 15mm.   NISSAN PATHFINDER 35.73 See reviews of this carSlight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. Unlike the other two, it applies to the upper leg as well as the expected lower-leg hits. Docked points for a marginal pedestrian impact result.

BMW's Gran Turismo take on a roomier, more useful vehicle somewhere between a sedan and a wagon wasn't all that well received, at least aesthetically, when it first showed up as a conceptual variant of the 5 Series in 2009. Now, the 3 Series has its own Gran Turismo.Does it work any better in this form? For the most part, yes, but it still won't suit everyone. The smaller proportions of the 3 Series give the hatchback profile a less massive, bulbous look--from the front 3/4 view, it's almost sleek.From the rear 3/4 view, the shape is a bit less compelling, but it's well-executed, with all of the BMW shapes, angles, and cues you'd expect.Like the 3 Series Sedan it shares part of its name with, the 2014 3 Series Gran Turismo will be offered in the U.S. in both 176 kW 328i and 221 kW 335i forms. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard.But compared to the 3 Series Sports Wagon, the 3 Series Gran Turismo is rather large: it's 200 mm longer, 81 mm taller, and has a 110 mm longer wheelbase. Those figures push it into 5-Series sedan territory in overall footprint--just as the 5-Series Gran Turismo is closer to the 7-Series in its overall size.Along with the taller ride height, the seating position of the 3 Series Gran Turismo is also higher: 58 mm, to be exact. BMW says this improves visibility as well as ingress/egress--and we think it also lends the 3 Series GT some of the feel of a higher-riding crossover American drivers prefer. In the second row, passengers gain 7 cm of leg room, a very welcome extension for full-size adults. Headroom is greater all around.In the cargo area of the 3 Series GT, BMW has applied all of its engineering powers and creativity to making a space that's as useful and customizable as possible. A 40:20:40 split-folding rear seat can combine gear and occupants, while a two-piece parcel shelf, an array of tie-down points, underfloor storage compartments, and LED illumination make the cargo space that much more user-friendly. Total cargo area is about one cubic foot greater than that of the 3 Series Sports Wagon, according to BMW. (See examples of the configurability of the cargo space in the gallery above).Subtle visual cues differentiate the 3 Series GT from the Sedan and Sports Wagon as well, even when viewed head-on:a smoother hood, larger headlights, up-sized air intakes, and "blades" inset into the front apron.2014 BMW 3 Series Gran TurismoLike the 3 Series Sedan, the Gran Turismo is available in a range of standard trim lines, including the Sport Line, Luxury Line, Modern Line, and M Sport. Sport Line models get a black kidney grille with nine bars, black air intakes, interior color accents, and sport seats among other details.Luxury Line models get an 11-slat chrome grille with matte black accents, chrome exterior details, and a combination of chrome and high-gloss wood accents inside. The Modern Line 3 Series Gran Turismo also gets an 11-slat grille, double trim strips around the air intakes, and a light-colored dashboard inside, with pearl-effect chrome accents. All models are available with a range of 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels, unique to each trim line.M Sport models get a new aerodynamic package, including front and rear aprons, diffuser, and side skirts; a high-gloss Shadow Line trim package from BMW Individual; M door sill, leather steering wheel, and driver's footrest; sport seats; and a lowered M Sport suspension.Sport Line and M Sport models get a special version of the eight-speed automatic transmission, which quickens shift times, and adds shift paddles to the steering wheel.www.motorauthority.com