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BMW brings first diesel 7 Series to US with $82,500* 740Ld xDrive

After almost 40 years on the market, there are probably few things the BMW 7 Series hasn't offered, but when it comes to the US market, one of those things just happens to be a diesel engine. That is all about to change, however, as BMW announced that it will unveil the 2014 740Ld xDrive at the Chicago Auto Show before sales commence later in the spring.
Offered only on long-wheelbase models with standard all-wheel drive, the new diesel 7 is powered by BMW's 3.0-liter inline-six producing 255 horsepower and a stout 413 pound-feet of torque peaking between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm. While BMW has yet to release any type of fuel economy figures, it did say that its diesel technology is usually good for an improvement of 25 to 30 percent over the gas models - just for fun, that means that the 740 Ld xDrive could get as much as 24.7 miles per gallon in the city and 36.4 mpg on the highway, but that's just doing the math and there is nothing official behind those numbers. Acceleration will take a little longer than in the 740Li xDrive (shown above) with BMW stating 6.1 seconds from 0-60 compared to 5.4 seconds for the gas model.
Another small increase over the gas version will be in price, with the 740Ld xDrive getting a starting MSRP of $82,500 (*not including $925 for destination), which is just a $1,500 bump over the 740Li xDrive. For comparison, the Audi A8L TDI starts at $78,800, while the previous-gen Mercedes S350 Bluetec was priced at $93,000. Scroll down for more info on the new diesel-powered 7 Series, and stay tuned to our live coverage from Chicago in a couple weeks as we'll have live images and hopefully more info.

BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe caught again

It's been a while since we've seen the upcoming BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe out testing, but we're sort of inclined to ask "Why?" yet again. After all, the 4 Series is what the new 3 Series-based coupes and convertibles will be called, so the idea of another four-door version just sort of seems redundant. In other words, just how different will a 4 Series Gran Coupe be from a 3 Series sedan, aside from perhaps a more rakish roofline or a four-passenger seating configuration? Probably not much, but BMW clearly thinks it can use the additional bodystyle to rake in some extra profits.
Anyway, back to these spy shots. No more of the 4GC's skin has been revealed since the last time we saw it, but we fully expect it to share a lot of its design DNA with the 3 Series sedan, not to mention the attractive 4 Series coupe concept that bowed at this year's Detroit Auto Show.
Powertrain options should carry over direct from the 3 Series line, so we expect to see 428i and 435i models on hand, packing turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines, respectively. We're sure that BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive will be available, and who knows, we could even get a 428d version with the new 2.0-liter turbodiesel four that debuted in the 328d at the New York Auto Show last week, or even an M4 variant.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is the world's first front-drive Bimmer [w/videos]

While BMW has been showing concepts for its Active Tourer for over a year, they never seemed entirely real. Why would BMW, a company that has built its image on sporty, rear-wheel drive sedans, move into the five-door, front-wheel-drive market? The answer is still not entirely clear, but the new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is very real. It launches in Europe later this year and is rumored to come to the US in 2015.
To brand purists, a front-wheel drive BMW may seem anathema to everything the company has built, and the production Active Tourer has clearly been built to provide drivers with a luxurious but utilitarian package first and foremost. It is 170.9 inches long and rides on a 105.1-inch wheelbase, but despite its compact dimensions, its high roof allows for 16.53-cubic-feet of cargo space with the rear seats up or 53.33 cubic feet with them folded flat. Its general appearance is nearly identical to the previous concepts, except with a blunter nose and cleaner lines. The front end wears BMW's traditional dual circular headlights and naturally, while the profile incorporates the company's traditional Hofmeister kink into the greenhouse's rear pillar. The interior has been designed to be especially useful with a sliding rear seat, adjustable rear backrests, fold-flat backrests and optional features like an automatic tailgate and panoramic sunroof.
Unlike both previous concepts, none of the Active Tourer models at launch use hybrid power. For Europe, the hatchback is going on sale with three engine options. The basic version is the 218i Active Tourer with a 1.5-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder with 134 horsepower that we just previewed in the 2014 Mini Cooper - good enough for average fuel economy of 48 miles per gallon in the EU cycle when equipped with a six-speed manual. The next step up is the 225i Active Tourer with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 228 hp and offers 39-mpg average fuel economy. Finally, there is the there is the 218d Active Tourer with its 148-hp, 2.0-liter turbodiesel and 57 mpg average fuel economy on the EU cycle. A six-speed manual is standard on all of them, but there is a six-speed automatic option for the 218i and eight-speed automatics available for the 225i and 218d. All-wheel drive will be available on future models.