Bimmers Confirmed to go Diesel

3-SERIES: A diesel-powered version of the 3 called the 335d will join the 3-series lineup for 2009. The 335d is powered by a 3.0 liter inline six cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 425 lb-ft of torque. BMW estimates a 0-62 MPH time of 6.2 seconds. The engine will use AdBlue urea injection and will be 50-state emissions compliant.

X5: The same 3-liter turbodiesel found in the 335 will be available in a version of the 2009 X5 SUV called the X5 xDrive35d. Power output is the same as in the 335d, with 0-62 acceleration estimated at 7.2 seconds and fuel economy predicted to be 19 MPG city/25 MPG highway or better.

X6: BMW is calling the 2009 X6 a Sports Activity Coupe, and calling it the first vehicle of its kind. (Some might argue that the X6 is a four-door sedan, and that it looks an awful lot like now-defunct Subaru’s Outback SUS (Sport Utility Sedan)). Semantics aside, the X6 will be available in two versions, the X6 xDrive35i (3.0 liter twin-turbo inline six, 300 hp, 300 lb-ft) and the X6 xDrive50i (4.4 liter V8, 400 hp, 450 lb-ft), both with a six-speed automatic and all wheel drive.

X5 and Mini models power BMW sales to record 1.5m cars

Frankfurt – BMW’s full-year profit rose 9 percent and it boosted its annual dividend as new versions of the X5 sport utility vehicle and Mini car won customers, the German car maker announced yesterday.

Net income advanced to €3.13 billion (R38.45 billion) from €2.87 billion a year earlier, the company said. Analysts had predicted profit of €2.89 billion.

BMW sold a record 1.5 million vehicles last year, a 9.2 percent increase, helped by the X5 and Mini models that went on sale at the end of 2006.

Chief executive Norbert Reithofer yesterday said the car maker would raise its dividend by 51 percent to €1.06 a common share.

BMW in September said it planned to deliver 1.8 million vehicles a year by 2012, with sales exceeding 2 million vehicles by 2020. A coupé version of the 1-Series compact and a US-built crossover vehicle called the X6 were intended to help sales gain this year.

Deliveries of the X5 surged 60 percent last year, while sales of the Mini rose 19 percent.

BMW announced plans last month to eliminate 8 100 jobs, mostly temporary positions, as part of a cost-cutting drive to catch up with German competitor Daimler in profitability. Reithofer plans to cut spending by €6 billion to help achieve a return on sales of as much as 10 percent by 2012.

Source:  Business Report

BMW Introduces Hybrid X5 With Turbo Diesel

They’ve given it the unfortunate name of Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, but what this diesel-electric hybrid X5 lacks in the nomenclature department, it makes up for in smart thinking.

BMW calls it a “Mild ActiveHybrid,” which means it’s similar in concept to the gasoline-electric systems in large SUVs and pickups from General Motors and the Honda Civic Hybrid.

The Vision EfficientDynamics employs a 2.0-liter clean diesel engine with twin variable-geometry turbochargers and direct injection that produces 204 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. To fully exploit the diesel engine’s relatively narrow rev range, BMW fitted the concept with a new eight-speed automatic gearbox from ZF. Flange-mounted to the transmission is an electric motor-generator powered by a lithium-ion battery pack that spins out an additional 20 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque during acceleration.

The bottom line is about 44 mpg combined city/highway with emissions of only 172 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer (consider that the X5 3.0si returns less than half as many miles per gallon and emits 244 g/km). Sixty miles per hour arrives in a decent 8.9 seconds (1.1 seconds slower than the X5 3.0si).

Via Wired News, photos via BMW