BMW 5 Series News

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.” 

So which carmaker is the world's cleanest? Not sure? Well, an independent survey released last week has found that BMW has most improved its average fuel efficiency and CO2 emission rate. Indeed, it's done so to an extent which will embarrass other carmakers.The study, began from 1990-2005 by Environmental Defense, a US-based non-profit environmental advocacy group, which shows BMW has improved fuel economy by 14 per cent and carbon emissions by 12.3 per cent.The next best reduction was Toyota's 3 per cent. The C02 performance of every other leading carmaker deteriorated.BMW has made much of the fact that the report covers a period when its US sales increased fourfold.The Americans, of course, buy more big X5 SUVs than the rest of the world combined. The report, Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens, studied the impact of 12 major carmakers' product strategies on fuel efficiency and overall automotive carbon emissions.BMW improved fuel economy on several key models, including the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7Series, Z4 M Coupe, M5 Sedan and X5 SUV. Of course, the group's Mini Cooper accounted for almost half of BMW's overall fuel economy improvements.BMW Australia spokesman Toni Andreevski says the group has made further substantial improvements to fuel consumption and emissions since the end of the survey period.“Already in 2007, one-third of new BMWs sold in Europe have a CO2 rating of no more than 140g per kilometre,” he says. “Basically it is a great result that shows that we can continue to optimise current engines. It also shows petrol and diesel engines that outperform existing hybrid technology at comparable costs.”With its latest diesel and lean-burn direct-injection petrol engines, (the latter is no good for Australia because of the high sulphur content of our petrol) BMW has taken its own hybrid direction. This week at the Frankfurt motor show, it showcased its new dual-mode hybrid that returns a claimed 20 per cent economy improvement on the highway and in town.BMW's other more vaunted green gambit is the Hydrogen 7, the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. Driven in Germany last year by carsguide, the Hydrogen 7 emits primarily vapour when running on a non-petrol engine.Toyota rated second best, reducing CO2 3 per cent overall, a result in part due to its introduction of the Prius hybrid, but mainly to improvements made to the best-selling Corolla.The report also rated the overall 'carbon burden' that carmakers placed on the environment, derived from factors including vehicle emissions and the number sold. GM came out on top, with a 6.5per cent reduction in overall carbon burden, though its carbon emissions rose by 3 per cent. Toyota, while low in CO2, grew its carbon burden by 125 per cent because of an increase in overall sales. Snapshot: Carbon savings BMW: reduced 12.3 per centToyota: reduced 3 per centVolkswagen: up 1.3 per centSubaru: up 1.6 per centGeneral Motors: up 3per centMitsubishi: up 4 per centHonda: up 4.4 per centFord: up 4.7 per centDaimlerChrysler: up 4.8 per centNissan: up 9.2 per centHyundai: up 17 per centKia: up 30 per cent Source: US Environmental Defense group 

It's not every day you drive along a dark, winding road at night, actually willing a kangaroo to hop out in front of you. But where else could we fully test BMW's freaky, futuristic Night Vision system?We had to discount taking it onto a battlefield against similarly equipped tanks, because we don't have the Top Gear TV show's budget.Hunting a group of C-grade actors pretending to be commandos through a jungle, Predator-style, was discounted for similar reasons.The system, a $4000 option on the 5, 6 and 7 Series, uses a thermal-imaging camera to beam hot and steamy footage of the road ahead, some 300m ahead, in fact, to the display screen in the middle of the dash.It works stunningly well, but can also be supremely distracting if you keep it on while driving around town.The really fascinating stuff is all the useless information Night Vision provides you with.Like how much heat comes out of the diff on a four-wheel drive, the fact that some people are, literally, hotter than others, and some have really hot legs, and that you can see the exhaust system glowing on every car in front of you.In fact, every vehicle looks like it's had one of those hoony blue downlights installed.You can also determine, among the parked cars, which ones have been driven most recently.It really does make you feel like the Predator, if the Predator got a job in a bank, started wearing a suit and bought a posh car.The information you're presented with verges on overload, and watching the screen did make two passengers feel physically ill.The fact that, being a bit of a geek, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen was also bordering on dangerous. But the Night Vision system really comes into its own when you get out of town and there's suddenly a lot less heat to see on the screen, allowing you to look at the road, like you're supposed to.This means your eyes are drawn to the Night Vision screen only when something,  a cyclist, a kangaroo, a particularly keen hitch-hiker poping up in the distance.The advantage in this setting is obvious, as the thermal-imaging camera picks up these hot items before the naked eye can.As BMW helpfully points out, about 45 per cent of fatal road accidents occur at night, even though more than two-thirds of all driving is done during the day.And it's a fair bet that our headlight-loving fauna is involved in a disturbing number of those night-time incidents.With that in mind, $4000 doesn't seem like a lotto spend. Even if it saves you only once, it'sa great investment.What is a slight concern is that, until the technology becomes as common as satnav, you're going to have a lot of rich toy boys driving around showing off their Night Vision to their mates, barely having their eyes on the road.The system we tested was installed in a 550i that was so heavily laden with gadgetry it made the space shuttle look like the Wright Brothers' little plane.When we weren't oohing and aahing over the infra-red images, we did notice that it was a fine executive express with plenty of grunt, sweet steering and a smooth ride.If I could just find that $163,900 I lost down the back of the couch (plus $4000 for Night Vision), I'd think about buying one. 

Three new models are being fast-tracked for Australia as BMW meets the demand for extra engine choices.Two will have diesel power and the third will use the classy twin-turbo six that has been a huge hit in the 3 Series sedan and coupe.The diesel is a new 2.0-litre turbo and will be installed in the X3 and 5 Series sedan. The 335i lineup will be extended to include a Touring wagon.The diesels will be on the road before the end of the year and the Touring will reach Australia next year.“We've always wanted to have more diesels. We're had our toe in the water with diesels. And one in five in our end of the market is a BMW. There is potential there,” BMW Australia's Nadine Giusti says.“The 335i Touring is not being brought to set the world on fire, but the engine is very popular and a lot of people are asking for it,” Giusti says.The new X3 and 5 Series turbodiesels will be price leaders, but should still go well with an engine that produces 125kW and 340Nm.The X3 will be priced from $62,500 with a manual gearbox, undercutting the $65,900 of the current 2.5Si and well below the 3.0-litre turbodiesel at $75,900. BMW says it will run to 100km/h in 9.6sec and return fuel economy of 7.0 litres for 100km.“It's a good price point. It should go well,” Giusti says.How many will BMW Australia sell?“It's a lot, but we're not putting a number on it,” she says.Sales of the existing diesel ran about half of all X3 deliveries and the new model is predicted to scoop about one third and boost sales beyond the current level of 1200 cars a year.The new 520d will sell in Australia as an automatic only, with the same equipment of the 523i, for about $115,000. Performance will be 0-100km/h in 8.6sec and fuel economy 6.1 litres/100km.BMW arranged a brief introduction drive for the three newcomers in Germany, and all look pretty good.The 335i Touring has the same punchy performance, excellent flexibility, the latest twin-turbo motor and the back end has enough flexibility to make a case for a performance wagon.The 2.0-litre turbodiesels are not the punchiest of their type, but both the X3 and 5 Series get along fairly well and the price will be attractive.BMW has not finished with model extensions there may be a 535 performance diesel.“We're looking at it. We're looking at it in all the body styles and it hasn't been taken off the field. But we don't want to keep bringing out cars just for the sake of it,” Giusti says. 

The brain's logical left lobe would probably dictate a highly specced and relentlessly reliable Japanese model.The riotous right side might love something Latin.Call it a feeling from the gut, then, but some part of you simply must have a badge featuring either a blue-and-white roundel or a three-pointed star. Or even four rings.Never mind that they're almost always over-priced for the package on offer and about as suited to Australian roads as Beethoven to a Shannon Noll audience, but we seem unable to get enough of the wares offered by BMW, Mercedes-Benz and increasingly, Audi.Which is just as well, given that there will be releases from all three marques this month.June marks the opening salvo of a second-half-of-'07 product offensive on three fronts, using every type of armament at the makers' disposal; from diesel hatchbacks through high-end sports machines to ferociously powerful SUVs.In popular terms, the most significant of these is the new-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class.The W204 series arrives next month with the four-cylinder Kompressors, V6 petrols and two diesel models.A six-cylinder purchase gets you a seven-speed auto transmission, but the fours make do with five speeds.Hard to say where the pricing will sit at this point, though a slight increase on the current model is possible.A more dynamic driving experience is promised, something to which Merc's Agility Control system is central.Indications from the world launch in Spain are that Mercedes' best-selling product has achieved that stated aim within a veneer of sexier, or slightly less conservative, styling.Of course, this launch took place on European roads, not our Australian tarmacs.The vastly improved new Smart fortwo coupe and cabrio arrive in November, to the delight of at least several hundred people.Between then and now, though, comes something altogether more potent.The ML 500 SUV and R 500 MPV cop a 285kW V8, up 60kW on the hardly deficient current version.These should be among us by early October, along with a 320 CDI model of the S-Class, marrying the marque's superb V6 diesel to its luxury limo.BMW fires two shots; one small-calibre, the other medium, from its locker this month.The One Series evokes mixed reactions but a coupe version is due next year and the five-door hatch receives a new four-cylinder diesel engine, minor inside and out facelifts and mechanical upgrades for greater efficiency.The updated Five Series gets new front and rear bumpers, restyled headlights and tail lights with LED.Better yet, it gets a quicker-shifting six-speed automatic tranny, controlled by the electronic gear selector from the X5 off-roader.The 530i Sedan and Touring gain 10kW of power and 15Nm of torque for totals of 200kW and 315Nm, and smarter 0-100km/h times throughout the range.New Seven Series Executive and Sport models arrive next month, but the lip-smacking becomes deafening in the fourth quarter with the new M3 coupe.Forsaking the straight six, this fourth-gen M3 packs an all-new, 309kW/400Nm V8 of four litres.Driven by the rear wheels (of course) through a six-speed-manual, it promises acceleration to 100km/h in only 4.8sec.The M3 is billed as the first production vehicle in its segment to feature a carbon fibre-reinforced roof; an innovation to save weight and lower the centre of gravity.Audi's counter-offensive begins next week with the local release of its S3 hot hatch and a ragtop version of the TT. Expected to outsell its hard-hat cousin, the open TT dispenses with the coupe's comedy back pews, increasing its boot space.Nor does it command an unreasonable premium over the coupe, with the front-drive 2.0 TFSI starting at $77,500, the V6 quattro at $92,900. But the roadster's sole transmission is the manual-matic S-tronic.No such pandering for the S3, which unites a creamy six-speed manual with quattro. And how all-wheel drive is needed.Hosting a rebuilt and “up-gunned” version of the VW Golf GTI's two-litre, direct-injection turbo four, the S3 can call upon a V6-daunting 188kW and 330Nm. At an estimated $65,000, it will come in cheaper than the top-whack, but decidedly lesser, A3.If the S3 is a genuine Q-car (there being little to visually distinguish it from Audi's milder hatches), there's no denying the latest Q7.Due in November and priced from $124,000, the already imposing SUV packs a turbine-like 4.2 TDI, a turbo diesel dreadnought that generates 240kW at 3750rpm and a warping 760Nm between 1800 and 2500rpm.As Wagnerian as it is, its thunder may be stolen as early as October. Not so much by the A5 and S5 (touring coupes with Walter da Silva style and nice engine notes) but the R8 sports car.Though it will be priced in the region of $270,000, you won't be able to buy one for ages, even if you have the readies.Audi has been taking orders for the instantly desirable, mid-engined V8 quattro two-seater since it was unveiled at last year's Sydney Motor Show.That car evokes a profound response from a region lower even than the gut.

The pace at which new technologies are finding their way into cars you can buy off the showroom floor never ceases to amaze.It wasn't that long ago that hi-tech safety devices like a lane-change warning system or night vision, which can pick up objects normally hidden by darkness, were only seen on futuristic cars at international motor shows before they eventually found their way into the most expensive, top-of-the-range luxury models.But computer-savvy consumers, especially those in the prestige market, are hungry for gadgets.As part of a revamp across its sedan range, BMW has fitted both these devices to its mid-range Five Series models for the first time; the lane-change warning system as a $1200 option, while the night vision adds $4000 to the price.The clever lane-change warning system uses a camera fitted near the interior mirror on the windscreen, which looks at the road 50m ahead to keep an eye on painted lane markings.It then works out the position of the car relative to the markings. Should the car start to wander between lanes, say if the driver is starting to fall asleep or through inattention, it sends a wake-up warning by vibrating the steering wheel.If the driver is merely changing lanes and has the indicator on, the warning system is deactivated.BMW says the device begins to work at speeds over 70km/h.The night vision device is probably more important for Australians because 45 per cent of road fatalities happen at night, even though more than two-thirds of all driving is done during the day.BMW's system uses infra-red thermal imaging to pick out the body heat of pedestrians, bike riders and animals on a dark road before they become visible to the human eye in the car's headlights.The system can spot an object up to 300m in front of the car and is not affected by the headlights of an approaching car. An object detected is shown as a black-and-white image on a screen in the middle of the instrument panel.BMW looked at displaying the image on the windscreen as a heads-up display, but tests showed the combination of real-life and virtual images irritated drivers. 

Chris Bangle had just demonstrated how to make a perfectly symmetrical origami-style dinghy out of a sheet of paper when he glanced over his shoulder to gaze at one of Australia's most recognisable structures."That building, design, shape and form is an icon," Bangle says of the Opera House from his vantage point on the far side of the Quay. "Look at some of the other buildings on the Sydney skyline: they haven't the same effect or lasting design."The Opera House was a huge departure from conventional design, the striking spherical shells making it one of the most prominent designs of the 20th century. When it opened in 1973 it was widely accepted as an iconic structure; quite the opposite to the impact Bangle had on the car world with his radical design direction at the once ultra-conservative BMW at the start of the 21st century.Bangle, the world's pre-eminent car designer, was in Sydney last week for the motor show. And there was intense interest in him for causing the greatest stir in recent automotive history. Bangle rose to fame or infamy — depending on which side of the fence you sit — with his self-proclaimed "flame design", first shown to the world with the arrival of the E65 7-series in 2001.It was revised last year with the E66 sporting a smoother rump, the infamous "Bangle Butt" having some cosmetic surgery.Bangle-hate websites have sprung up since he headed off in his radical mish-mash of concave and convex lines that filtered through to the 5-series and Z4 roadster and coupe. They're full of nasty stuff, some personally attacking American-born Bangle, others calling for his axing from the Munich maker.Bangle acknowledges the wave of protest, admitting he looks into the often murky world of the worldwide web."I look at them. I don't bathe myself in them but I certainly look," Bangle says."You know Andy Warhol said everyone will have their 15 minutes of fame in the future and it's just that I got in before a lot of people," he chuckles."But seriously (websites) are like the faceless media, its a one-way discussion and it's like a wall coming at you."I think in the future everyone is going to have their own hate website and we're just seeing the beginning of it."Bangle qualifies his response by saying he is not immune to criticism."I think criticism is OK, it's healthy as long as there is open dialogue," he says.The car world has to some degree lessened its dislike of the so-called Bangle angles.And Bangle, 50, is very much in-demand on the speaking circuit. In Melbourne recently, Bangle addressed a gathering at the national design centre at Federation Square.He says Australia has a lot to offer the world from a design point of view."You know a lot of the magazines I pick up in Europe say that Australia is the most influential place for residential architecture."I hope to pick up some ideas from my first visit here and take them back and maybe put them to use in the car world," Bangle says.As with most designers in the game, Bangle is totally absorbed by cars. But he is more than simply a one-dimensional character.He used his 50th birthday on October 14 as a premise to throw a party around his personal art exhibition in Munich."I showed 130 pieces of my art collection from portraits and sculptures and had 270 people show up," Bangle says.Among three pieces auctioned on the night with money going to Medicins Sans Frontieres was a steel sculpture reflecting Bangle's trademark flame design.Age has given him a new urgency as one of the most powerful figures in car design: "I guess my sense of impatience has increased in terms of where the industry's going."Bangle's unconventional designs have polarised opinion on the BMW family's looks.He does not see the revision to the 7-series last year as an indication that his styling went too far. "It was half-time in the model cycle and a time for second helpings," Bangle says. "You use those moments to harmonise the whole family and the 7-series is now that much more elegant."

More than 25,000 admirers, tyre kickers and buyers packed the Convention Centre at South Bank on the second day of the show last Saturday, smashing all previous records.The 8000 increase on the previous single-day best crowd was helped by the official season launch of the V8 Supercar championship which featured all the stars and cars of the Holden versus Ford series in nearby Little Stanley St.While most come to dream there are those who use the opportunity to compare notes between rival brands at close range and under the one roof.With fuel prices remaining high, the cost of running a vehicle remains a key buying consideration among many buyers.For those wanting to stretch their dollar further at the pump there are fresh injections of turbo diesel variants in the passenger car line-up including Volkswagen's Polo oil burner for $22,990.Lexus provided the Queensland public with its first look at the GS450H saloon, a luxury petrol/electric hybrid which is scheduled to do business in local showrooms from May.BMW, which is showing off a new range of V8 engines in the 5, 6 and 7-series at the show, says it will have a hydrogen-powered 7-series on Australian roads in two years but there is a need for government intervention to possibly sort through filling station infrastructure.While the future is firmly set on alternative power sources, there remains an unwavering passion for hot blooded exotic sports machines.In performance alley at the show there is the stunning Pagani Zonda Roadster, priced at $1.3 million or the equivalent of four median-priced Brisbane homes.While Holden is flooring the fans with the hot rod Efigy, it also previewed its next four-wheel-drive wagon, the Capitva.VW took the covers off the new Passat sedan and wagon while Fiat had a range of Puntos which will signal the Italian maker's return to the passenger car ranks in Australia this year. The show continues until Sunday.

If you mention the words diesel and engine to most people they trigger memories of noisy trucks and buses that crawl down the road and belch black smoke from their tails. Or they think of an overweight four-wheel-drive heading into the outback. But times are changing - and fast - in the diesel world.A new generation of high-tech, clean-burning diesel engines is coming on fast in everything from compact cars to luxury limousines and new-age four-wheel-drives. And eventually there will also be diesel-electric hybrid vehicles in Australia.Take a walk around the motor show and you will see almost all themajor brands have a high-profile and high-tech diesel engine.They are coming thanks to cleaner fuels with a lower sulphur content, as well as developments on what are called common-rail and direct-injection diesels - which deliver fuel at higher pressures and with better control to boost combustion.Turbos also get huge gains from low-pressure turbocharging, so most of the hero motors are turbodiesels. The old days of glow plugs, which took ages to warm then fire the engine, are also gone.Carmakers are also attracted to the massive torque available from diesel engines, which means strong acceleration at low revs, and the fuel economy benefits, which have become more important as petrol prices have risen.Diesel power has become so impressive that Audi, which is looking to stretch its domination of the classic Le Mans 24-Hour race, has fitted a turbocharged diesel engine to the R10 racer it will use in France in June. The motor show will highlight the arrival of several leading-edge diesels.BMW has its first diesel sedan for Australia, the 530d. It is a genuineluxury car and comes with impressive performance of 160kW and 480Nm of torque, aswell as fuel consumption of just 7.5 litres per 100km. But BMW is also pushing harder and will have its X5 and X3 all-wheel-drive diesels as well as a 320d - a huge hit in Europe and potentially BMW's biggest-selling diesel car - along with a 120d for a preview at the show.The Volkswagen group is big on diesel and Audi has just introduced a fresh 2-litre diesel A4 and even plans tointroduce a high-performance 3-litre diesel in the A4 later this year, as well asconsidering a diesel version of its A8 limo.Not surprisingly, Audi's turbodiesel hero at the show is the giant new Q7 all-wheel-drive wagon, which will be availablein October with a diesel.Volkswagen will have its diesel twins, the latest Polo and Golf, along for the party at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and intends to put diesel power into its upcoming Jetta and the new Beetle before the end of 2006.There is also a chance that Honda could preview the Accord Euro diesel it has developed for Europe.Even Jaguar has jumped on the diesel bandwagon, fitting a high-tech dieselengine to its luxurious S-Type sedan.The $101,950 S-Type diesel runs a 2.7-litre diesel with twin-turbochargers, whichbump power to 153kW, and has 435Nm of torque.Jaguar does not expect to sell too many but says that some customers will enjoythe new engine. "We know other luxury brands are doingthis but we are yet to see diesel onpeople's radar when they are shopping for a luxury brand above $50,000," says Jaguar spokesman Todd Hallenbeck.Still, the biggest problem for any car company is getting customers to take a taste test. The task for carmakers is to get customers to test drive the new dieselmodels."We know that anyone who drives one (an S-Type diesel) will want it," Hallenbeck says."We are not just talking about people with fuel economy in mind. We are talking about a $100,000 car here; these people can afford to buy any type of fuel they want."This diesel offers great performance, very, veryclean emissions and, by the way, it also returns fuel economy of 8 litresper 100km."Diesel power will also be coming from two of the pioneers in Australia, Peugeot and Mercedes-Benz, with the French company even doing a turbodiesel for the sleek 407 Coupe, which is its stand star.The two-door model is available with a 3-litre V6 petrol or the dieselengine.Mercedes-Benz has four new diesels this year in the latest R-Class, the compact B-Class, the mid-range E-Class wagon and its four-wheel-drive hero, the upcoming GL.

A powerhouse V8 to complement the two straight sixes has been added to the BMW 5-Series range.It has big shoes to fill in the form of the previous 540i that was widely acclaimed as one of the best sports sedans in the world.Typically, BMW has pulled out all the stops to deliver a vehicle that outstrips its predecessor on almost every score.It has more luxury, more safety, better handling and more performance than the 540i but weighs less. It costs a bit more but the additional features outweigh the extra ask.At $157,000, the 545i is going to sell to a small but discerning market and these fortunate folk will be able to experience automotive travel at the highest level.The engine has been uprated to deliver a maximum 245kW of power with 450Nm of torque fed to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine has variable valve timing on the inlet and exhaust sides and a variable inlet manifold to optimise output.Standard equipment is extensive and there is a swag of electronic modulations to keep the big sedan on the straight and narrow regardless of the conditions or how it's driven.A particularly pleasing feature is the active steering that changes the mechanism's gearing to offer fast, light response at slow speeds through to slower response with more feel at high speed. It is not merely a variable power assistance system.On a brief introduction to the 545i last week I can report that it feels like the big luxury sedan it is. Performance is strong and the ride is smooth and quiet. You get the feeling that everything is taken care of and that pretty well sums up the driving experience. The active steering is excellent and overshadowed a BMW M3 sports coupe that was used for comparison purposes.Acceleration times are impressive at 5.9 seconds and response across the entire rev range is strong, aided by the superb auto.Styled with the new BMW DNA, the 545 looks handsome and imposing on the road and is arguably the best looking in the new range. Other models in the new 5-Series line-up include the 525i and 530i.