BMW had a strong new line-up at the Paris Motor Show. It was headlined by the world debut of the new BMW 7 Series, and supported by the first appearance of the new BMW 3 Series at a motor show. The BMW stand also featured the latest developments in the BMW EfficientDynamics automotive strategy.
BMW says that the new 7 Series arouses new emotions in the luxury saloon segment, offering a truly unique driving experience, supreme grand touring comfort, and outstanding design with an ideal combination of sporting elegance, modern style and natural presence.
The German carmaker is equally modest when it says that the world’s best-selling premium car, the BMW 3 Series, is likewise more attractive today than ever before. Appropriate modifications of the car’s design, refinements within the interior and additional drive variants enable both the Saloon and the Touring to further increase their comfortable lead over the competition.
Both the 3 and the 7 Series, are world leaders also in terms of efficiency. Boasting the most advanced, consumption optimised engine technology and a wide range of other features in BMW EfficientDynamics, all engine variants in both the BMW 7 and the 3 Series offer the best balance of motoring performance and fuel economy in their respective class.
All this is made possible by BMW EfficientDynamics, no other car maker offering a similarly comprehensive and effective strategy to reduce both fuel consumption and emissions. In all, worldwide sales of cars fitted as standard with the latest achievements in BMW EfficientDynamics already exceed the figure of one million units.
Introducing the new BMW 7 Series, BMW now also highlights EfficientDynamics in the luxury saloon segment. Through the wide range of technologies offered in this way, such as Brake Energy Regeneration, on-demand management of ancillary units including the a/c compressor disconnected when not required, intelligent lightweight technology, active aerodynamics and tyres with reduced roll resistance, the new BMW 7 Series is far ahead of all its competitors also in terms of such modern, trendsetting technology.
Offering average fuel consumption of 39.2 mpg in the EU combined cycle, the new BMW 730d powered by a newly developed 180 kW/245 hp straight-six is indeed the most efficient car in its segment. Contrary to the BMW 7 Series boasting six-speed automatic transmission as standard, the BMW 3 Series also comes with the BMW EfficientDynamics gearshift point indicator featured on all models with a six-speed manual gearbox and the Auto Start Stop function on all four-cylinder manual gearbox models. Reducing average fuel consumption to 4.7 litres/100 kilometres, equal to 60.1 mpg imp, and with a CO2 emission rating of 123 grams per kilometre, the 105 kW/143 hp BMW 318d is the absolute leader in its segment in terms of both fuel efficiency and emission management.
Entering the 2009 model year, BMW tells us that it already offers no less than 23 models complying in full with the future EU 5 emission standard. In addition, the new BMW 330d is the first model available with optional BluePerformance technology, already today fulfilling the EU 6 emission standard not scheduled to take effect until 2014.
As of autumn 2008, the same number of 23 current BMW models come with CO2 emissions not exceeding 140 grams per kilometre at the very most. Indeed, the fact that sales of cars with BMW EfficientDynamics already exceed one million units clearly confirms the unique, broad-scale impact of this strategy for reducing fuel consumption and emissions in road traffic.
With achievements of this kind, the BMW Group will fulfil the commitment made by the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA ) to reduce the fleet consumption of all manufacturers throughout the entire model range by 25 per cent between 1995 and 2008.
BMW tells us that in order to maintain this outstanding leadership also in future, it is working all-out on the series development of hybrid drive units combining the power and performance so typical of the brand with a significant reduction of fuel consumption clearly measurable under all driving conditions. To achieve this goal, BMW follows a comprehensive hybrid drive philosophy offering the best solution (“Best of Hybrid” ) for each individual model.
Two examples of such new technologies were indeed presented in Paris, the BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid with its eight-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor integrated in the transmission to provide extra drive power and the BMW Concept X6 ActiveHybrid combining an eight-cylinder power unit and an electric motor by means of an innovative two-mode active transmission.
