BMW planning to slot i5 minivan into new range Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, BMW, Electric, Luxury

Imagine you're an auto exec launching a new line of cars. One's a sportscar, the other a city car - pretty much opposite extremes on the spectrum of automotive bodystyles. Do you give them alphanumeric nameplates close to one another? Of course not. You assign them disparate numbers to make room for more models to slot in between.

That's just what BMW is doing with its upcoming "i" range, with an i3 at one end and the i8 (star of the recent Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol). So what does it have planned to fit in the middle? According to Autobild out of Germany, an i5.

The third model in the range is tipped to come in as a compact MPV in a similar mold as the Toyota Prius V - only probably significantly more expensive. Underpinnings would likely be borrowed from the i3, but stretched out a bit to make extra room for people and stuff. For that matter, we wouldn't be surprised to see an i2 come in as a two-door version of the i3 with the Smart ForTwo in its sights, or an i6 or i7 electric sedan, either.

BMW planning to slot i5 minivan into new range originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BMW M shows off new diesel-powered lineup in motion Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Crossover, BMW, Diesel, Luxury

If you'd like to see more of BMW newly unveiled range of M Diesels, here's your chance. To recap, BMW revealed four tri-turboed, diesel-engined, all-wheel-drive M cars for European buyers yesterday: the M550d xDrive (a.k.a. 5 Series) sedan and touring, the X5 M50d and the X6 M50d. All use a 3.0-liter inline-six putting out 376 horses and 545 through an eight-speed auto, and in the case of the M550d sedan it can get to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

That makes each of the white knights in the promo piece both sporty and powerful, as you'll hear often in the video after the jump.

Continue reading BMW M shows off new diesel-powered lineup in motion

BMW M shows off new diesel-powered lineup in motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Crossover, BMW, Land Rover, Luxury

The turn of the year didn't merely lead us into the Year of the Dragon, but also the year of the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Halewood's small softroader won a boodle of awards: Autoweek's Best of the Best, Top Gear magazine's and Jeremy Clarkson's choice for Car of the Year, Motor Trend magazine's SUV of the Year and the North American Truck of the Year. For starters. Consumer Reports, however, isn't as swayed, saying that the new BMW X3 "handily outpointed its European rival" in a head-to-head between the two compact luxury crossovers.

We expect there's an Evoque out there with a sore backside because CR did not spare the rod, saying the Evoque scored near the bottom of its category because of "a cramped cabin, stiff ride, artificial-feeling steering and troubling emergency handling." On top of that, its "rear view is poor," its "cargo area is small" and its interior is "noisy" albeit "well finished," and was outdone by the X3's "lavish interior." The baby Land Rover finished so far in the hole that CR couldn't give the vehicle its coveted Recommend rating.

That seems a bit harsh at first glance, especially since comparing interior measurements between the two seems disingenuous when the BMW is so much larger that it's basically in another class. That said, we haven't read the full piece yet, so we'll withhold further commentary. For CR's press release on the Evoque vs. X3 cage match and its comments on the Toyota Prius V, Volkswagen Tiguan and Jeep Wrangler, look no further than after the jump.

Continue reading Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque

Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments