Carmaker leads pack in building 'green' models

GERMANY’s premium carmaker, BMW, will continue to extend its leadership in building cars that consume less fuel and with lower exhaust emission levels.

As of August this year, the number of vehicles fitted with the current BMW EfficientDynamics measures may well exceed one million units sold.

Late this year, the efficiency-enhancing technology will be fitted into the new BMW 7 series.

For the 2009 model year, the number of BMW models whose carbon dioxide (CO2) level is at a maximum of 140 grams per kilometre will increase to 23. At the same time, the number of BMW models which already meet the EU5 exhaust emissions norm will increase to 23.

The new BMW 330d with optional BMW BluePerformance Technology will be the first vehicle in the model year 2009 to fulfil the EU6 exhaust emissions norm, which does not come into force until 2014.

Geoffrey Briscoe, BMW Group’s Malaysia’s managing director, said that the company has always been at the forefront of revolutionary automotive technology and EffcientDynamics represents a cornerstone for BMW as a premium car manuf acturer.

“With EfficientDynamics, BMW stands out with a more comprehensive platform for managing efficiency and environmental concerns. Instead of creating niche cars or treating environmental concerns separately, our new car platforms have been developed so that eventually our entire model line will offer the best solutions in the premium segment, both from a driving and an environmental perspective,” he said in a statement.

Unlike other manufacturers, BMW offers state-of-the-art measures to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions not just in individual series or special models.

The technologies which provide increased driving pleasure in combination with reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emission levels is part of the standard fittings of every new BMW model – from the compact BMW 1 Series to the luxury sedans of the new BMW 7 Series, which fulfils the requirements of the EU5 exhaust emissions norm in all engine variations available at the market launch.

Briscoe also said that the company was looking forward to continuing the EfficientDynamics rollout to the Malaysian market as local conditions such as fuel quality allow for it.

“EfficientDynamics is a huge leap forward for the industry and it is a solution that we have, now. If local conditions allow for it, we are more than ready to start introducing these models in to the Malaysian market,” he said.

With the BMW 520d the German premium manufacturer also offers the only vehicle in the medium category with a CO2 level of less than 140 grams per kilometre and an EU5 classification as standard.

In the BMW 3 Series, the Sedan and Touring versions of the BMW 318d and the models BMW 320d Sedan, BMW 320d Touring, BMW 320d Coupé and BMW 320d Convertible have CO2 levels of between 123 and 140 grams per kilometre.

The choice of especially lowemissions models is even larger in the BMW 1 Series. The leader in the field is the BMW 118d, which in its five-door and its three-door version achieves a CO2 level of 119 grams.