Future Fleet Star: BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon
War would appear to have broken out over the right to dominate the hearts and minds of the fleet market in the UK; seemingly each week a new more efficient, more frugal model is announced and this week is no different.
This time it’s the turn of German giants BMW and their recently announced “new for 2010″ 3-series saloon, promising market leading and ground breaking levels of efficiency that have previously only been seen on smaller vehicles.
BMW are confident that when the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics saloon goes on sale in early 2010 it will be the first premium car in the sub-110g/km segment. To put this in some perspective Audi has recently unveiled its most frugal A3 which achieves the same CO2 figure as this 3-series – and you don’t need us to tell you that the 3-series is a significantly larger car! The battle lines have been drawn…
The 163hp saloon’s statistics are certainly impressive; the car boasts a combined mpg figure of 68.9, along with CO2 emissions of 109g/km, however performance hasn’t been dramatically compromised as the car is still capable of hitting a top speed of 137mph, while 0-62mph takes 8.2 seconds.
The engineers at BMW have had to work incredibly hard to create a car both frugal yet with this spirited performance; the car features a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, with a longer rear axle transmission ratio and lowered suspension.
The full suite of EfficientDynamics are included on the car; Auto Start Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration and Electric Power Steering for optimum performance, that have featured on all four-cylinder BMW 3 Series models since September 2007. Aerodynamically optimised alloy wheels, with energy saver tyres complete the range of fuel efficiency measures.
Inside the cabin the car will be much the same as the BMW 320d SE; which includes features such as two-zone air-conditioning, rear park sensors, leather steering wheel, and extended lighting.
So what BMW has achieved is creating a popular 3-series, with all the refinement you come to expect from the badge, yet in a highly efficient (and class leading) casing – and where Fleet Managers and company car drivers should really take note is that this car when it goes on sale in January 2010 will cost only £35 a year to tax, and will be in the 13% benefit-in-kind band – making sound and compelling financial sense.
This wave of new fuel efficient engineering can only be a good thing for the car industry, and the fleet industry, all that is left to say is: your move Audi?
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