BMW Aims to Improve Fuel Efficiency With Diesel Engines
BMW remains one of the most inefficient car brands in America. According to early NHTSA reports, the corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) for the 2009 BMW passenger vehicle lineup is 27.5 mpg - a figure that beats only a few imported automakers.
Seeking to keep up with more stringent CAFE penalties - as well as chase the growing trend towards improved gas mileage - BMW has announced plans to introduce smaller, more efficient engines into its vehicle lineup.
In an effort to improve environmental friendliness without compromising BMW's legendary performance, the kraut automaker is looking at diesel four-cylinder technology.
For those concerned that these smaller engines will diminish the performance of the BMW brand, Tom Baloga, vice president of engineering for BMW of North America, explains, "Our four-cylinder diesel will be so good that people will readily accept it as a replacement for six cylinders."
Additionally, Baloga suggests that the new four-cylinders could match the acceleration and horsepower of turbocharged six-cylinders if extra measures such as weight reduction are incorporated into future BMW vehicles.
The smaller diesel options are currently being considered for the BMW 1 Series, BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series. The BMW X3 and BMW Z4 may also see the diesel treatment.
Diesel engine technology is not new to BMW - the BMW 335 and X5 are both available with a V-6 diesel option. However, this will be the first time that a four-cylinder diesel is offered in America. Currently, BMW offers such technology on the BMW 320d in select European countries. The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine musters 177 horsepower and posts a 0-to-60 mph time of 8.6 seconds.
To deliver the promise of comparable six-cylinder engine power, BMW still has its work cut out for it. The current six-cylinder 3 Series gas engine pulls 306 horsepower and a 0-to-60 mph time of 5.8 seconds.
There is no word yet on when the new diesel engines will be incorporated into the vehicle lineup. However, BMW has made it clear that they intend to meet government emissions regulations as soon as possible.
To that end, BMW sees diesel technology as an important factor for its future in America. Government regulations will be increased to a CAFE of 30.2 mpg in 2011. The figure will be boosted again to 35.5 mpg by 2016.
To accommodate this growing average, BMW plans for 10 to 20 percent of all future vehicle sales to come with a diesel engine. While this is certainly feasible - 70 percent of current BMW sales in Europe are of the diesel variety - meeting this goal is largely contingent on the American public's willingness to climb behind the wheel of a BMW with a smaller four-cylinder engine.
So far, diesel sales in America have been less than promising - the BMW 335d currently accounts for a paltry 1.3 percent of all 3 Series sales. The 2010 BMW X5 xDrive35d fares better, with 13 percent of all X5 sales.
There is no word yet on fuel efficiency estimates for the new BMW diesel engines. However, figures can be expected to be better than the current BMW 335d, which earns 23 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway.