BMW Packs It All In In July

From the start of July BMW will introduce a package of new model and engine revisions across the range, making changes to the 3 Series Saloon and the 5 and 6 Series ranges significantly enough in the UK to warrant a press release all of their own!

5 Series

First up they will be introducing the new 520d Gran Turismo, powered by the same 2.0-litre TwinPower Turbo diesel engine fitted to the 5 Series Saloon and Touring. Impressive figures seem to rule this little number: 184hp , 380Nm torque, 53.3mpg, and CO2 emissions of just 139g/km.

Chuck in, as standard, Dakota leather upholstery, an eight-speed automatic transmission, the BMW Business Advanced Navigation system and enhanced Bluetooth telephone functionality with telematics, panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, Park Distance Control front and rear and automatic tailgate operation and you’ll find that that is a specification that is pretty hard to beat.

And all other versions of the 5 Series Gran Turismo benefit with the arrival of the 520d as they all gain Auto Start-Stop and ECO PRO which brings down their BIK rating by up to 5%, with improvements in horsepower, torque and MPG added advantages too, apart from the 535i Gran Turismo which gains about a 17g/km reduction in CO2 emissions.

The ActiveHybrid 5 is now available in M Sport specification, with the same styling and equipment enhancements as other M Sport versions of the 5 Series Saloon range, with the exception of M Sport suspension and M door sill finishers.

And to top it all off all Touring versions now have automatic tailgate operation as standard for greater convenience while all 5 Series variants gain Voice Control at no additional cost.

The 2013 BMW 3 Series Saloon – BMW get busy!

With the arrival of hybrid, four-wheel-drive and M Sport variants of the 3 Series Saloon, BMW offers its most comprehensive line-up ever of the model that is the heart of the brand. The 320i xDrive, ActiveHybrid 3 and M Sport versions start production in July along with the 330d, followed in November by the 316i and 320i EfficientDynamics.

The ActiveHybrid 3 is powered by the BMW TwinPower Turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine in tandem with a 40kW (55hp) electric motor, reaching 62mph from zero in just 5.3 seconds. At speeds of up to 37mph it can travel up to 2.4 miles solely on electric power, and offers a combined fuel consumption of 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 139g/km – good enough to mean only an 18% benefit-in-kind company car taxation rate.

The xDrive brings the stability and safety of four-wheel-drive to the 3 Series. Available initially on the 320i, with the six-speed manual gearbox the 320i xDrive accelerates from zero to 62mph in 7.4 seconds and has fuel consumption and CO2 figures of 41.5mpg and 159g/km. There is even an  optional eight-speed automatic transmission that improves economy and emissions to 43.5mpg and 152g/km while adding only a tenth of a second to the zero to 62mph time.

The BMW eight-speed Sport automatic transmission is fitted as standard to the new 330d, with a zero to 62mph time of 5.6 seconds, but also a supremely efficient fuel economy of 57.6mpg and CO2 emissions of just 129g/km.

The (apparently) eagerly anticipated M Sport specification is now available across all variants of the BMW 3 Series Saloon building on 3 Series styling with subtle changes to both interior and exterior and the chassis.

Standard features include 18-inch M Star-spoke alloy wheels, M Sport suspension and M aerodynamic body styling with High-gloss Shadowline exterior trim, Dakota leather upholstery, a unique M Sport multi-function leather steering wheel, anthracite headlining, M Sport seats and M designation door sill finishers.

In November the 316i Saloon and 320i EfficientDynamics Saloon arrive. Both have ‘outstanding’ MPG, power and speed, but more details will be available nearer the time as they leave us hanging on their every word in anticipation.

The 2013 BMW 6 Series Coupé, Convertible and Gran Coupé

Production of the BMW 650i Gran Coupé will begin in July and at the same time its’ uprated 4.4-litre V8 TwinPower Turbo engine will replace the existing version in the 6 Series Coupé and Convertible.

Once again the figures speak for themselves, so needless to say, all you need to know  is: 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and improved MPGs too!

All-in-all probably a press release worth the paper it was printed on.