BMW X Models News

Even though the September market showed mixed results across all segments, luxury off-roaders and sportscars were the exception, rocketing up the sales charts.VFACTS industry figures show a 31 per cent lift in luxury off-roader sales and 17 per cent rise in sportscar sales last month. The luxury off-roader numbers were buoyed by strong sales for the BMW X5, and several newcomers, including the Volvo XC60, Lexus LX, RX and Audi Q5.With the weather warming up, convertibles helped feed the lift in sportscar numbers. Perennial favourites like the Mini Cooper cabrio, Saab 9-3 cabrio and Mazda MX5 helped bolster sportscar sales for the month. The Audi A5, BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK and Volkswagen Eos also fueled buyer interest.The SUV segment overall was up almost 2 per cent compared to September last year. Other segments are also on the rise, thanks to the Federal Government's small business tax stimulus package. Compact off-roaders and light commercial van sales are up 5 per cent while 4x4 utes, light cars and medium car sales are also up.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive, Andrew McKellar, says the robust September result is proof of further signs of a consolidation in the new vehicle market. "This was a good month with a stronger than expected result," he says.Overall 78,131 cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles were sold last month. This is down 3.5 per cent - or 2807 vehicles - compared to September last year. Despite a lift in optimism, McKellar says private buyers are still reluctant to return to the market. "Some areas of buyer confidence remain fragile and an interest rate rise is premature," he says. "The economic stimulus has resulted in positive business sales but private buyers need the confidence to return to showrooms in larger numbers."Year-to-date 681,974 new vehicles have been sold, down 13.1 per cent compared to the same period last year.Toyota remains in the top sales position for September with 16,007 vehicle sales, ahead of Holden with 9744 and Ford with 8427. Toyota's senior executive director sales and marketing, David Buttner, says the company expects to pass 50,000 sales in the last quarter for the first time this year. "Toyota is holding a substantial order book into October, and it is gearing up for an end-of-year rush from the business sector," Buttner says. Buttner says the company has fixed stock shortages of the top-selling HiLux.TOP 10  BRANDS    Sept           YTD 2009 (+/- on 2008)Toyota                   16,007             142,898       -22.3%Holden                      9744               85,667       -14.0%Ford                          8427               70,289       -13.7%Mazda                       7205               57,695         -7.2%Hyundai                    5484               47,625        36.4%Mitsubishi                4312               40,092        -16.3%Nissan                       4079               38,446       -15.8%Honda                       3939               31,787       -22.9%Subaru                      2807               27,225         -9.0%Volkswagen             2307               22,717         -5.4% 

People power has forced an Australian backflip on the X5 M, which will now join the ultimate go-faster version of the X6 in a twin-pronged SUV attack.

The system in the Lexus we were piloting could find the street we wanted, but tried to take us into a road that was barred. And kept ignoring the public street that would have given us access, as we kept circling past it in growing amusement. To be fair, the Audi satnavs also have a problem with that part of the world.And the one in the BMW X5 that Navman sent us out in contradicted their gadget on several occasions.The Navman itself didn’t have any trouble with the difficult location. But that’s not the big news about the new range. Nor, for that matter, are the tap/slide wide screens and the other lollies they’re trumpeting.The real attraction of the new MY range in our opinion is the more accurate speed limit information. Where other previous systems have offered an average for stretches of road – fairly useless for sections where speed limits see-saw wildly – the top two models of the five in the Navman MY series give accurate alerts whenever you enter a different speed zone.Navman spokesman Marcus Fry says these can be updated on an annual basis, and they hope to do it even more often.And across the range you also have alerts for revenue cameras, accident black spots, rail crossings and school zones.Unfortunately the school zone alerts run all the time, not just in school hours – which means you still have to take your eyes off the road to check.But for those more concerned with bells and whistles, the range has plenty to amuse and inform – with the aim of turning the gadget into a shotgun-riding ‘mate’, according to Navman marketing director Wendy Hammond.“People really should feel like they have a reliable and knowledgeable ‘mate’ in the car who knows the area – a resource from which they can get good directions; find a sportsground; Google a restaurant; keep an eye out on speed and safety cameras; alert about traffic incidents ahead, and even take overseas with them to have the maps and guides they need on holiday,” she says.These matey features include extended lane guidance and 3D junction views, the ability to search for local information on TrueLocal and Google, Lonely Planet and Wcities travel guides, intuitive ‘Smart Find’ destination input that uses a keyword search, and traffic information that includes weather updates.There’s also a function that advises the most fuel-efficient route, plus a mileage expense and digital logbook.Not all those features are standard. And – like everything else with buttons these days – you can get an inbuilt music and video player. But only in the top-line model.Prices start at $299 for the MY30 and add another $100 to each model as you move through the MY50T and MY55T to the MY500XT. 

The baby of the marque's soft-roader brigade was revealed in the first official pictures released in Europe last week

With deliveries due to start in before Christmas, BMW Australia spokesman, Toni Andreevski, says dealers are already fielding inquiries."One of the reasons the company had to confirm the car early is that customers are already making inquiries," he says."Our dealers are already trying to work out when their allocations arrive."Andreevski says pricing and specifications will be announced next month, but the hotter X6 is tipped to be more than $200,000.Powering the brawny four-wheel drive "coupe" will be a new twin-scroll twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 developing 408kW/680Nm, providing the car with a zero to 100km/h sprint time of just 4.7 seconds.Visually the car gets massive 20-inch wheels, quad exhausts and huge bumper level air intakes.It is 10mm lower than the standard X6, incorporates stiffer springs and air suspension.The X6 M comes with a host of driver-oriented technologies, including M Dynamic Drive, electronically adjustable dampers and active roll-control.BMW's ‘EfficientDynamics’ system will be standard. This incorporates brake energy regeneration and on-demand control of the electrical fuel pump and detachable compressor when the air conditioning is switched off.The X6 M gets a six-speed sports automatic gearbox, steering wheel shift paddles linked the precise Servotronic steering system.Andreevski says the X6, despite its niche classification, has been a surprising hit locally with 545 sold since it went on sale 10 months ago."V8 sales are running twice the amount of the X5," Andreevski says."It's clear the X6 is attracting a more sports oriented driver so the X6 M will extend that one step further."Andreevski says about 40 per cent of X6 customers are new to the brand, switching from a competitor luxury brand, and many buyers stepped up from a traditional two-door coupe.He says the X6 has outsold its closest competitor, the Porsche Cayenne, by almost 20 per cent.Globally, BMW has sold more than 35,000 X6s. 

The wraps are finally off the German carmaker’s latest on-road and off-road weapon.The X1 is due to arrive here around February with prices starting at $55,000.It will be the fourth wagon in the X lineup, joining the bigger X3, X5 and X6.The newcomer will share much with its larger siblings, including BMW's intelligent xDrive all-wheel drive technology and borrows its platform architecture from the 3-Series.However, BMW is expected to offer both all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive versions to help expand the brand's crossover appeal.BMW's ‘efficient dynamics' technology will also feature in the vehicle, including brake energy regeneration, auto start-stop and a gearshift point indicator.The X1 will be offered in Europe with a choice of one six-cylinder petrol engine and three four-cylinder diesels.The European range will kick off with the 105kW/320Nm 2.0-litre sDrive18d turbo-diesel with rear-wheel drive.Three all-wheel drive models will be available: the 130kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel xDrive20d; the 150kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel xDrive23d; and the range topping xDrive28i with a 3.0-litre petrol six cylinder developing 190kW/310Nm.The sDrive18d has an average fuel economy figure of 5.2 litres/100km and a CO2 rating of just 136gkm.The xDrive28i hits 100km/h in 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 205km/h.Visually, the X1 retains typical BMW X features, with a three-eye-look and elevated foglights.The kidney grille is upright, the short bonnet is deeply sculpted and the tail lights are a reinterpretation of the typical BMW L-shape.The wheel arches are squared and the rear window is steeply raked.BMW's trademark Hofmeister kick is also evident at the base of the C-pillar.Inside the cabin is generously appointed.The rear seatbacks can be folded in a 40/20/40 splits and the rear seat backrest can be reclined. Luggage capacity can be increased from 420 litres to 1350 litres.The X1 measures 4450mm in length and sits on a wheelbase of 2760mm. It is just 19mm shorter than an X3 and has a 45mm shorter wheelbase.The wagon will be built at BMW’s Leipzig plant in Germany.

The baby soft-roader that will bring the German prestige brand yet another step closer to the masses when it hits Australian showrooms early next year.These latest pictures show a pre-production model of the X1 during testing in Europe this month.The X1 is a further stretching of the premium SUV envelope bringing a luxury twist to a market presently dominated by more mainstream offerings such as the Toyota RAV4 or Nissan Dualis.The X1's only direct competitor, Audi's new Q3, is not expected to reach Australia until the end of next year at the earliest.“The X1 is going to slip in under the X3 as a perfect fit to give people looking at the smaller end of that market an option they don't currently have,” BMW Australia's Toni Andreevski says.“It will have all of the key characteristics of the X3 and X5 but in a package that hasn't previously been available.”Andreevski says the expected customers for X1 will differ from those looking at the larger SUVs primarily in that they will be urban-based with little intention of heading off-road.“They are people who like the styling and practicality of the SUV's higher driving position and extra space but don't need the size of a serious off-roader,” Andreevski says. “It is the go-anywhere feel to the car that is most important.”While the X1 will launch sitting on an all-wheel drive platform there is a possibility BMW Australia may also offer _ for the first time in its X range of models _ a two-wheel drive version. “That is a bit further down the track,” Andreevski conceded. “We will monitor market requirements and if there is a clear demand for that then it is certainly possible.”BMW is expected to officially introduce the X1 to the world at the Frankfurt motor show in September having given a good indication of the car with a near-production concept at the Paris expo late last year.“We expect to have the X1 on sale in Australia by February next year and while it is far too early to give any firm price indications it will be at a competitive level below the X3,” Andreevski says.It is likely that the X1 will start in the low $50,000 range for what will be the entry-level engine, the tried and tested 2-litre diesel already available in the X3 _ in which it accounts for 70 per cent of all sales _ and 1, 3 and 5 Series passenger cars.However, the hero engine of the range will be the spanking variable vane technology twin turbo four-cylinder diesel which has been taking Europe by storm in the 123d. With 150kW (204HP) of power and 400Nm of torque the engine is the first all-aluminium diesel to rate above the 100HP per litre output.While BMW Australia will launch the X1 as an all-diesel range there is a possibility that a 3-litre six-cylinder petrol engine will be added to the line-up towards the end of next year, although the company was offering no comment on that.Based off the company's 3-Series platform, the X1's interior is likely to run down similar lines to the small sedan from switchgear to the revised and refined iDrive controls.

Rather than spelling the end of performance V8s in M-cars, BMW's new-found fascination with turbocharging will open even greater possibilities, according to the company's new Australian boss.Stavros Yallouridis, who took the reigns of the Australian operation last month, is adamant the throaty burble of a performance-tuned V8 will remain a BMW fixture."We see with the new generation of the V8 engines in the M3s what a great success those engines are," Yallouridis says. "While we may see an M car with a six cylinder engine again in the future, I think at the moment we will continue to concentrate on performance V8s."Yallouridis says the search for a balance between power and fuel efficiency is one of the reasons turbocharging has become an attractive option.BMW has set non-M performance standards by bolting twin turbochargers to its brilliant 3.0-litre six and it will not be long before the M division gets in on the force-fed action."In the very near future we may even see V8s with twin turbos on them ... the X6M and the X5M are heading in that direction," Yallouridis says."It is a lot more horsepower ...""We are already experiencing better than 500hp from a V8 engine on the test bench and there is still a lot of testing going on."What you shouldn't expect from the maestros at the M garages is a return to the company's two engine extremes."I really don't think we will see another 4-cylinder M engine but I also don't think there will be another 10-cylinder engine either. What we really want, though is a good balance — we want good fuel efficiencies with a good power result but without going overboard."Yallouridis is also quietly confident that the Australian new car market will be able to weather the global financial storm in as good, if not better, condition than overseas markets."If the total car market stabilises at a 20 per cent drop for the year I think all of us in the Australian car market will be satisfied," Yallouridis says. "We have seen erratic market movement across the world and thats varies from 10 or 15 per cent in some markets up to 60 per cent in others."In Europe it appears markets are travelling at an average of 30 per cent down while in Australia it is around 21 per cent."The premium market in Australia is around about 17-18 per cent down and we (BMW) are performing at around about 11-12 per cent down."Yallouridis believes the premium segment of the market has been better insulated from the full effects of the downturn than other more mainstream segments."We are speculating that we should see a stabilisation early next year."New product is obviously an insulation in times like this. Product is a big part of any success story at the moment."While BMW has just launched the new 7 Series and the Z4 and will have the much-anticipated X1 baby SUV late in the year Yallouridis acknowledges that the effect of these models — along with the 5 Series Grand Tourismo and all new 5 Series late in 2010 — will not be felt until next year."We knew going back five years that 2009 was going to be a dip as far as new product was concerned and in a strange way that has actually helped us with regard to circumstances from the economic crisis," he says."The availability of fresh and new product as the economic gloom begins to lift next year will give us a strong competitive boost."

But the biggest step change at BMW's go-faster M division for decades is going to be a hit-and-miss event for us.The maestros at M have been unleashed on BMW's SUVs for the first time and the result is a pair of X5 and X6 belters with a twin-turbo V8 engine cranking out a wicked 408 kiloWatts _ with the brakes, suspension and body bits to match.But ...Only one of the super-quick SUVs, the X6 M, is coming down under. The X5 has been rejected, at least for now, as BMW Australia aims to steal more sales from rivals including the Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz's AMG-tweaked ML."We have made this decision primarily to cater to our more-enthusiastic M customers. They will prefer the X6 body style," says the spokesman for BMW Group Australia, Toni Andreevski."It makes more sense to target the vehicle where the buyers are. Over 30 per cent of our X6 buyers are already going for the V8 model, but the X5 figure is a little under eight per cent. They want performance ahead of practicality."So, at present we have no plans for the X5 M. We're not targeting X5 customers, these people are a different breed."The M-car move is the most radical change since the one-time racecar division grew its business away from the rorty little M3 into the 5 Series family. Since then there have been M cars across the BMW range, but nothing in the SUV lineup.The 4.4-litre V8 is the heart of the M upgrade of the X6, with BMW touting a design which puts the turbocharger and catalytic converters between the banks of cylinders for quicker response.The result is 680 Newton-metres of torque, a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h, although this can be bumped to 275 with the optional M Driver's Package.The XMs pick up the latest developments on BMW's EfficientDynamics system, from Brake Energy Regeneration to on-demand control of the electrical fuel pump and a detachable aircon compressor.The X6 M gets a six-speed sports automatic gearbox with shift paddles behind the steering wheel, which is linked to a specific Servotronic steering system.Standard equipment runs from bi-xenon maps with daytime driving lights to 20-inch alloy wheels, a heads-up display, M sports seats and wheel, and a pumped-up body package.No-one at BMW is talking about the price, although it will be somewhere between $167,000 and $234,000 - most likely in the $200,000 range - when the first cars land in November."It will be more expensive than an ML63 and cheaper than a Cayenne Turbo. That's all we have at this stage," says Andreevski.He is also refusing to talk about sales numbers, although close to 500 X6s have been sold since it hit showrooms in August last year."If you compare it with the Porsche Cayenne, it has outsold it since it went on sale," Andreevski says. 

... sharing its all-paw layout, raised ride-height and plastic body cladding with the upcoming Mini off-roader.Not that most badge-oriented drivers will take it green-laning – although it shares the same sized footprint as Ford’s Kuga and the Toyota RAV4 – expect prices for the X1 to start around 32 000 Euros.The cabin will share a high degree of commonality with the 1-series, complete with the latest iDrive and BMW’s signature swan-necked gearlever. Like all new BMW models, the X1 will feature the Efficient Dynamics technology – the intelligent system that utilises stop-start systems, intelligent alternator control and other green initiatives to boost economy and slash emissions.A full hybrid version is unlikely to get the green light on cost grounds – expect that system, based on that already under development, to be reserved for the new 7-series.