BMW 535i News

With the 5 Series Touring, BMW will be one of the only Euro brands offering a large prestige wagon in the Australian market.

Porsche has just released the sixth model in its line-up -- the Macan compact SUV -- but is already well progressed with secret plans to add yet another model to its range.The German sports-car maker appears to not be content with having posted all-time record sales last year and has even bigger visions for the future.The boss of Porsche, Matthias Muller, has indicated he would like a seventh model in the company's line-up. "If you include the super-sportscar (the 918) we have six models in our line-up," Mr Muller told journalists from China, Australia and New Zealand attending the launch of the Macan SUV in Leipzig, Germany."I think a seven-model series would be a good line up because most cars have a seven-year lifecycle," he said. "If we had seven models we could have a major event each year, as well as the (special edition) variants." Mr Muller would not say what type of car would become the seventh model.Recent speculation has centred on a two-door version of the Panamera, a mid-engined Ferrari 458 rival (to bridge the price gap between the 911 and the 918) and a budget-priced sports-car to slot in below the Boxster.However, according to Porsche insiders, the seventh model is most likely to be a mid-size sedan that would be a rival to the BMW 5 Series, and sit below the Panamera in price.The Porsche sedan would be available with rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive just like the Panamera, say company insiders, who claim it would help give Porsche economies of scale by sharing some of its components with the Macan.The mid-size Porsche sedan is said to be built off Audi's second-generation MLB (modularen langsbau) architecture, which is a development of what is already underneath the Porsche Macan.Meanwhile, Porsche says the Macan is "exactly the right vehicle at the right time" even though it has only planned to build 50,000 this year. Last year Porsche sold 75,000 Cayennes -- but the compact luxury SUV market in which the Macan competes is much larger."This year the luxury compact SUV segment will reach a total volume of 1.3 million units," said Mr Muller, adding that the category had seen a staggering 185 per cent growth in sales since 2007.Over the next 10 years, sales of luxury compact SUVs are set to exceed the 1.8 million mark, he said. "Porsche will broaden its customer base," said Mr Muller, "and most will be first-time Porsche buyers."He said Porsche had just posted a record 162,000 sales in 2013 and was on track to eclipse the 200,000 mark for the first time this year. About one-third of all Porsches are sold in China, one-third are sold in North America, and one-fifth in Europe.But Mr Muller says Porsche will continue to be a premium brand because sales growth will come from emerging markets."Porsche still only represents 0.25 per cent of cars on the road, or two to three out of every 1000 cars," said Mr Muller. "A high degree of exclusivity is assured for our brand. (But) we are going to grow profitably."This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

BMW has issued a safety recall for a total of 2894 cars sold between November 1 2012 and July 31 2013 for a defect that could see a lack of lubrication cause the vacuum pump to fail and reduce the effectiveness of the brake assist function that adds extra force for panic stops.The carmaker says however that the vehicles will still be able to brake under normal circumstances. "They don't lose braking ability, but still lose brake assistance," BMW Australia spokesperson Lenore Fletcher says. The affected vehicles are: the F20 1 Series; F30, F31 and F34 3 Series; F10 and F11 5 Series; E84 X1 compact crossover;  F25 X3 Series and E89 Z4 sports car.Fletcher says there have been no accidents or injuries, but a small number of vehicles have experienced the problem. "There have been about six or seven reports," she says. "We believe that only about 0.5 per cent of the vehicles in the recall will need fixing."An inspection taking less than an hour will determine if a vehicle needs the fix -- which will require up to another five hours. "We'll replace the component, and while parts can sometimes be an issue, ours are being airfreighted from Germany right now," Fletcher says. BMW says concerned owners should contact their nearest BMW service centre, or call 1800 813 299.

Information is good, but domination is bad. So I like big digital speedometers, blind-spot warning systems and reversing cameras, but I'm against automatic parking, radar cruise controls and anything which can influence the steering.My personal jury is still out on automatic emergency braking, but I think it's probably going to get a tick. The reason for this reluctance runs all the way back to the very first cars I drove with anti-skid braking systems, a BMW 5 Series and a Honda Accord.I can clearly remember the wheels of the Accord chattering and skidding as I tried a panic stop, but the Five was worse. I was driving on a gravel road when I needed to brake for a corner.I did, but the car did not, and I can clearly picture to this day the tree I narrowly missed as I arrowed off the road with the ABS system working - or not - precisely as the engineers intended.Hitting the personal fast-forward button, there was a Lexus that insisted on applying emergency braking power when another driver cut into my lane and cut the beam for the over-sensitive radar cruise control, a Camry that cut engine power just when I needed it in a corner, and a Volkswagen that refused to accelerate from a Stop sign because I was holding the car on the brake at the same time as tickling the throttle.Just last year, there was a Mercedes-Benz that swerved me into the path of an oncoming car when it detected that I had drifted over the white line, when in fact I was easing gently away from a potential head-on smash.I know that technology improves and I like some of the stuff that makes life easier, but I was overwhelmed this week by the all-new Volkswagen Golf and a bank of safety equipment that runs from a fatigue monitor to radar cruise control, automatic wipers and lights, automatic parking and even multi-collision braking to stop the car after a crash.A lot of this stuff is good, and there's no doubt that it should make our roads safer. But it's also encouraging a breed of drivers who are really just passengers, relying on their cars to save them from themselves. And that cannot be good.This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover 

So the 5-Series crossover is being given a big tweak and the same front and rear update - check the crazy camo - seen across almost the whole range.It should be seen at the Detroit Motor Show in January. 

The 5 Series picks up the new front on a mild mid-life facelift next year, but there are no details - yet - of any other changes. 

... including sedans and wagons with no less than four different engines:- A 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel;- a 2.5-litre six cylinder petrol;- a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol;- a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel; and- a thumping twin turbocharged 4.4-litre V8.Prices range from $83,300 to $178,900 with a bewildering and eye watering array of options that then add tens of thousands more to your bill.WANT MORE?First drive by Mark HinchliffeReview by Philip KingFirst drive by Kevin Hepworth

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.

It combines aspects of sedan, hatchback, crossover wagon and sports sedan, and will be available with turbodiesel, petrol six and V8 engines, a huge range of standard equipment and BMW's latest Dynamic Drive. BMW Australia believes it can get the car towards the middle of 2010, if it can make a business case, but predicts sales around 50 cars a month. The most unusual thing about the Gran Turismo is the tail, which is hatchback in style but - like the 'twin-door' Skoda Superb - has two tail-end choices. It can be a hatchback or a sedan, depending on the amount of luggage space needed for a job. To boost the rear-end flexibility, the rear seats can also slide forwards to increase the luggage space. BMW currently lists three engines for the car — 530d, 535i, 550i — and a huge range of standard and optional equipment. But the cabin takes its lead from the new 7 Series in dash layout, space and final finishing. And BMW says the Gran Turismo does not - necessarily - point to the look of the next 5 Series sedan, coming in 18 months. Or perhaps point to the end of the Touring wagon.