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X1, 3 Series power BMW back into global luxury autos sales lead

BMW managed to eke ahead of Audi for the global luxury sales crown in February. According to Bloomberg, BMW saw deliveries swell by 7 percent in February, besting the 3.2 percent jump enjoyed by Audi and giving BMW a 407-unit delivery lead over its rival last month. Mercedes-Benz, meanwhile, continued to falter, with the brand selling some 37,229 fewer machines than BMW, whose factories are running at full capacity to keep up with demand. Models like the X1 (shown above) enjoyed a sales increase of 40 percent in February while the company's bread-and-butter 3 Series jumped by 26 percent.
Mercedes-Benz hopes to stem its continued market share loss with the addition of the entry-level CLA sedan to its portfolio in April. The company is set to roll out an updated version of its cash-cow E-Class at the same time, and a new-generation S-Class will follow along shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the company is increasing production to meet demand for its A and B-Class models.

BMW announces M235i xDrive, 7 Series Exclusive among summer upgrades

Like any automaker worth its lug-nuts, BMW is constantly striving to improve its products. And so it has announced a series of upgrades for the summer - none of them revolutionary, but a couple of them notable.
For one, the Bavarian automaker has announced that is is offering xDrive traction on the M235i coupe, a model that has been available until now only in rear-drive configuration. The all-wheel drive version comes with the same 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six with 326 horsepower (320 in the US market) and eight-speed automatic transmission as the rear-drive version, but now channels that power to all four wheels for a 0-62 time quoted at 4.6 seconds - two little ticks quicker than the existing version. It's the first time that all-wheel drive is being offered on the 2 Series, and will also be fitted on the convertible - at least, that is, in Europe. We're waiting on confirmation of North American availability.
Among the other announcements is a special edition of BMW's flagship luxury sedan. The 7 Series Exclusive Edition upgrades with metallic paint, 19-inch V-spoke alloys, Nappa leather upholstery and a leather-trimmed instrument panel. Buyers will also be able to opt for the Merino fine grain leather and Alcantara roof lining from the BMW Individual catalog, and choose between any available engine or either wheelbase lengths.

FCA joins BMW, Intel and Mobileye on autonomous car project

Today, BMW, Intel and Mobileye announced that FCA would be joining their effort to build a sharable and scalable platform for autonomous cars. This project has been moving ahead full steam, with Intel purchasing Mobileye earlier this year, not long after Tesla and Mobileye parted ways. Not long after that, parts supplier Delphi joined the autonomous effort. The group's current goal is to have 40 autonomous test vehicles on the road by the end of 2017. The eventual end game is to create a new architecture that each partner can use and adapt to its needs. The platform will support level 3 to level 4/5 automated driving, and can be adapted to suit brand identity. The main headquarters for the effort will be in Germany. FCA staff will join the already established group of engineers from BMW, Intel and Mobileye. The group expects this new platform to hit the streets by 2021. It's unclear how this will affect FCA's relationship with Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle project. Waymo currently uses modified Chrysler Pacificas for its fleet. In addition to FCA, the trio of BMW, Intel and Mobileye have extended an invitation to any other automakers and suppliers that want to join the project. Related Video: News Source: BMW/Intel Green BMW Chrysler Fiat Autonomous Vehicles mobileye