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BMW plugs in new X5 xDrive40e PHEV crossover

BMW broke with its own convention when it rolled out the original X5 back in 1999, and did it again when it launched the i3 and i8 plug-in hybrids in 2013. Now it's bringing the two together with the reveal of the new X5 xDrive40e. Based on the third-generation F15 model and previewed by the X5 eDrive concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, the X5 xDrive40e is the first PHEV from the core BMW brand. Its hybrid powertrain pairs a 2.0-liter turbo four (itself good for 245 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque) to an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission (contributing another 113 hp and 184 lb-ft) for a total combined output of 313 hp and 332 lb-ft. That makes it more powerful by both counts than the six-cylinder X5 xDrive35i (though considerably less so than the V8-powered xDrive50i), giving it a quoted 0-62 time of 6.8 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. But it can travel up to 19 miles on electric power alone, at which top speed is limited to 75 mph. BMW has mounted the 9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack underneath the luggage floor, limiting cargo capacity to between 17.65 and 60.7 cubic feet, depending on how you set up the rear seats. An adaptive suspension keeps it all on an even keel, with power transmitted to all four wheels through a permanent all-wheel-drive system. An M model it is not, but the Bavarian automaker will offer it with an M Sport package. Full details on pricing and availability have yet to be announced, but the X5 xDrive40e is set to hit European dealers in the fall. The BMW X5 xDrive40e The first plug-in hybrid production car from the BMW core brand is a Sports Activity Vehicle. Permanent all-wheel drive and the BMW EfficientDynamics eDrive technology endow the BMW X5 xDrive40e with sensational sportiness and supreme poise on the one hand and outstanding efficiency on the other. With a total system output of 230 kW/313 hp generated by a four-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology and a synchronous electric motor, the BMW X5 xDrive40e achieves a combined fuel consumption of 3.4 – 3.3 litres per 100 kilometres (83.1 – 85.6 mpg imp) and a combined electricity consumption of 15.4 – 15.3 kWh over the same distance. CO2 emissions come in at 78 – 77 grams per kilometre (figures according to EU test cycle for plug-in hybrid vehicles, may vary depending on the tyre format specified).

BMW may be planning AMG Black Series competitors

Word has it BMW has its heart set on giving the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series a run for its money in the US. According to BimmerBoost.com, the German automaker has been making more and more noise about offering a number of specialty models aimed specifically at enthusiasts. While at the Detroit Auto Show this year, the BMW PR machine revealed 2013 will be "an interesting year" and that buyers can expect one or two products aimed specifically at swiping buyers from the clutches of the C63 AMG Black Series. The news came courtesy of Automobile writer Marc Noordeloos' Twitter machine.
Noordeloos reportedly interviewed several executives familiar with the M models while in Detroit, and says the M division would like to offer hardware like the M3 CSL, GTS or CRT to buyers here in the States. That sounds great to us, but saying something doesn't make it true, and manufacturers rarely find it in their hearts to bring money-losing machines to our green shores. Still, that won't stop us from crossing our fingers.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer pulls its way onto the stage

We know what you might be thinking: here comes another BMW with yet another kind of roofline. Only this isn't just another BMW. It's the first front-drive BMW, and the first time we've ever seen it in person.
That model, of course, is the new 2 Series Active Tourer, debuting here in Geneva as the production version of the Concept Active Tourer and the beefier Concept Active Tourer Outdoor that followed. It shares about as much with the 2 Series Coupe as a jelly donut, but takes BMW into a new market segment - that of the high-roofed hatchback (or micro-minivan, depending on your perspective) occupied by the likes of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan.
Power comes from a choice of 1.5-liter turbo three, 2.0-liter turbo four or 2.0-liter turbodiesel - but aside from the forced-induction engines what they all the versions have in common is what makes the 2 Series Active Tourer newsworthy: they all sit up front, driving the front wheels. It's an idea BMW purists might not appreciate, but one we'd all better get used to just the same.