BMW X5 2006 News

Manufacturers including BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Peugeot and Citroen have issued recalls via the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced another round of safety recalls, with models from Mazda, Holden, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Jaguar affected.

The twin-turbo V8 in the muscular new mid-sizer is stretching the friendship with the back tyres in the fifth-generation M5 and there are concerns about customer reaction in snow-belt countries around the world. An all-wheel drive upgrade is the logical solution and BMW M chiefs from Munich admit they are considering the move. "We are thinking about it," says Max Ahme, M5 project leader. "If you are increasing the power more and more, maybe you need it." The basic powerplant in the M5 is the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 already used in the M versions of BMW's full-sized SUVs, the X5 and X6, but is tweaked to unleash 412 kiloWatts of power and 680 Newton-metres of torque. "The block is the same, but the cylinder heads are new. The inlet track is new, it has double Vanos (variable valve timing) and more revs. So, more power," says Ahme. He refuses to go into much detail but it's clear that BMW M is making a serious assessment of its first all-wheel drive passenger car. "It's a good idea, but it would add 120 kilograms to the car and it's all over the front axle," says Ahme. Other companies have made all-wheel drive conversions successful, including Ferrari with the lightweight system fitted to its new FF supercar. Ahme admits BMW has had an FF in its workshop, although he believes the system would not be suitable for an M5. "We have looked at this car. We do some swaps with Ferrari." But Ahme is totally black-on-white on one potential stretch of the M5, into a new Touring wagon. "This will not happen," he says. There have been three M5 Touring models in the past but the sales record of the car is not good, and numbers dropped dramatically in the previous-generation car. "It does not make any sense. Just look at the numbers," says Ahme.

The upcoming 520i, priced from $77,900 instead of the previous $82,000 for a 520d, comes after an earlier move on the 3 Series down under. BMW Australia says its objective is to provide better value, as well as a 'stepped' approach to equipment levels that mirrors bottom-end brands from Hyundai and Kia to Holden and Ford. It began the change with the 3 Series and is now moving on the Five with a claim of up to $7000 worth of extra value - most of it in standard equipment - on the 520i. There is also said to be more punch from the engine, which is a new 2.0-litre four with TwinPower turbo good for 135 kiloWatts and 270 Newton-metres of torque. "We've got power up, value up and fuel consumption down. Everyone is happy," says BMW spokesman, Piers Scott. A new four-cylinder 528i - replacing the previous six-pack - is also part of the 5 Series change, with more equipment in the 535i and 535d that means up to $7000 of extra value. Scott says the value boost comes thanks to the engine change but does not deny BMW's stronger emphasis on value at a time when it is taking a battering from Mercedes-Benz and Audi on both sides. "It's really just the fact that this is a brand-new engine that's available to us. That accounts for the 520 and the 528i," he says. "The other changes are to get a logical ladder into the price structure. "The jump from the 520i - which snuggles under the Luxury Car Tax threshold thanks to economy of 6.4 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of  149 grams/kilometre - to the 528i manes 180 kiloWatts and 350 Newton- metres, even though the four-cylinder basics are the same. The 528i is priced from $98,200, helped by also qualifying as a low-emission model under the LCT rules. Prices of the 535i and 535d now start at $115,600 and $120,900 respectively, with the diesel engine now boasting 230 kiloWatts and an eight per cent economy boost, with the 535i also getting a 0.7 litres/100km economy improvement. BMW Australia now also includes stop-start technology on all Fives except the 550i, with its new Active Safety package - closing the windows and sunroof, electro-mechanical belt tensioning and a crash- optimised position for the passenger-seat backrest - also part of the deal.

German chancellor Angela Merkel weighed in on the issue yesterday. In a speech in Beijing, she described plagiarism and copyright infringement in China as 'a big problem.'DaimlerChrysler said it would consider unspecified legal action if Chinese carmaker Shuanghuan Automobile showed the Noble, which it says closely resembles its Smart Fortwo minicar at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show.“We take intellectual property protection very seriously,” a DaimlerChrysler spokesman said.“We decided to reserve the right to pursue legal action.”BMW said it was considering legal action against the importer of another Shuanghuan vehicle the CEO, which it claims closely resembles a previous version of its X5 sports utility vehicle that was discontinued last year. Shuanghuan and China Automobile Deutschland, the importer, could not be reached for comment.Ms Merkel said “If suddenly a car turns up that looks like a Smart but isn't one, but rather a copy produced by not entirely legal means, then that's not good.”DaimlerChrysler, which following its sale of Chrysler, is due to change its name to Daimler in October has not elaborated on its legal plans, but the company is understood to have contacted Shuanghuan about the issue.The German company last year succeeded in stopping another Chinese producer, CMEC, from bringing to market another vehicle that closely resembled the Smart.Global carmakers, including Germany's, are seeking to entrench their positions in China, now the world's second-largest vehicle market after the US, while seeking to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights.More Chinese Cars: Great Wall Motors

Building on the world-wide reputation for on-road excellence of the original X5, launched in 1999, the second generation car’s larger and more spacious body sits on an entirely revised suspension package and features a pair of refined new engines.The X5 will arrive in Australia in April with the option of a 4.8-litre V8 petrol or a lightweight straight six 3.0-litre diesel, both coupled to a six-speed shift-by-wire automatic gearbox.They will be joined by a straight six 3.0-litre petrol option late next year.The free-revving V8 offers 261kW peaking at 6300rpm and 475Nm of torque at a useable 3400-3800rpm giving the petrol X5 every opportunity to show off its superb road dynamics.The diesel, with 173kW peaking near redline at 4000rpm, is not as free-spirited but loses nothing in the all-important mid-range application with 510Nm of urge waiting to be called on from 2000-2750rpm.The car will also be offered for the first time as a seven-seater with the third row tucked away under the rear cargo floor until required.BMW Australia says no decision has been made on pricing or standard inclusions for the new cars but if the marketing follows typical BMW procedure there will be a raft of opportunities to personalise your purchase with options.Among the range of options being offered in Europe are Adaptive Drive - electronically controlled active damping and rollbar control; Active Steer - along with active drive, available for the first time on an all-wheel drive model; Heads-Up display which displays a range of information from navigation to speed on the windscreen in the driver’s eyeline.This has flowed through from the 7 Series and 5 Series models.The X5’s bi-Xenon headlights will also have an active capability to follow steering direction (possibly optional).The controversial iDrive control centre has again been slightly modified with the option of storing regular destinations, phone numbers or settings on the radio buttons.The Daily Telegraph CARSguide liftout on November 18 will feature a full report on the BMW X5.

SUPERCARS and people-movers are off the menu at BMW. It says it is more focused on Formula One than creating a road-going supercar. And family vans are not part of its core business.Even so, expect changes as the German carmaker works hard to take the attack to its main rival, Mercedes-Benz.BMW board member and product chief Burkhard Goschel says the company will be doing some product tweaking for showrooms."We have talked about a so-called room-functional concept, which is not a people-mover but a car with a lot of viability and space," Goschel says."The new X5, which is going on to the market soon, will have an optional seven seats, but a people-mover is not our business."Though the X5 is getting additions to its arsenal for a battle with the Mercedes-Benz ML, GL and R-Class wagons, BMW is opting out of the supercar war, focusing instead on its F1 campaign to promote the brand.BMW will maintain its M-car efforts, but it will not produce high-end supercars such as the Mercedes McLaren SLR and Bugatti Veyron.The company is not ruling out a replacement for the limited-edition Z8 roadster, which starred as a James Bond car, but Goschel says the supercar market had been over-estimated and (tongue in cheek) says the company already has a supercar."We have a very good sports car. It is becoming successful and it has only one seat. We are spending a lot of money for three drivers," he says."There are a lot of high-end sports cars and in our opinion there are too many."They are losing money. It's not a profitable business."We feel very comfortable with going F1 racing and with the other sports cars we are building."He admits BMW might have a different attitude if it were not in Formula One."You don't see a supercar every day but you see the F1 cars every two weeks," he says.The company's engineers are also being put to the test in the environmental area, and they are aiming to introduce brake energy recovery technology next year.Goschel believes hydrogen-fuel cell cars, including the hydrogen-petrol internal combustion engine, are the right way to go, but he says the issue of hydrogen storage remains critical."It's difficult. It takes time to change the system. We are working strongly on hydrogen-fuel cells. It will grow up, but how fast I don't know."The issue is storing hydrogen. You need about 10kg for a good range. It should be in liquid form but some issues over storage in cars has to be solved," he says.

1. What is the state of the Australia luxury-car market at the moment?"It is stable on a high level, but it's a competitive market. "We expect to be traveling on the same level as last year on a full- year basis, and we are confident we can grow the BMW Group business.2. How does BMW rate globally?"On a worldwide scale, if you take away South Africa where there a very special regulations and BMW is an assembler, we have the highest market share in the world."We have 29.2 per cent of the luxury sector in Australia, and in Germany the figure is 27.4 per cent and the worldwide number is 19.9 per cent."3. Why is BMW doing so well in Australia?"Australians like our products and we have a very strong brand here. "We have other things which are particularly appealing to potential owners, like guaranteed future values for our cars. We are the only manufacturer to do that across the range. It shows the confidence we have because we know the situation with BMW residuall values."Others will follow us, because they do, but we are the first. That is especially appealing to luxury users, as they have the option to hand the car back at the end of their lease term."This program is fitted to the Australian market, but we have other things and there is also a good demand here for the BMW four-wheel drives with the X5 and X3."4. How has BMW been tracking in Australia over recent years?"Since 1999 we have grown by 79 per cent and, although we usually don't talk about our competitors, that is more than anyone else and gives us a lead of 20 per cent over the same time last year. "That includes the 4x4s but not the commercial vehicles sold by one of our competitors. It's passenger cars and four-wheel drives."If you look at other manufacturers there is one other brand which is doing well but coming from a low base, yet we outsold them 3:1 in 1999 and now we outsold them 3.3:1 in 2005."5. Looking forward, what can we expect in 2006 and 2007?"We are now expanding our range on the diesel front, and we will have the 120d and 320d in the second quarter of this year. There will also be the 323i Touring in the second quarter, and later in the year a new 3 Series coupe. Also the 323i sedan."We have now the revised Z4 including the M Roadster, and of course we have the Z4 coupe coming in the secnd half of the year and the M coupe version which will be very exciting."2007 is still quite a way down the track, so we will have a few renewals."In the 1 Series we are far away from having exploited the market potential and we will have a few very nice things that will fit perfectly in Australia. But that will be 2007."Also, a little bit down the track we will have . . . a sporty version of the X5. It is in the design stage and, from what we have seen, it will be a stunning success."6. You are also responsible for Mini as part of the BMW Group. How far away is the replacement car?"The new model Mini will be in the market in Australia next year. "In that life cycle it will also have several more variants that will also come to Australia and they will help to substantially grow Mini in the market. It was originally a one-model vehicle but will grow to a full product family."

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.