Australia will become the first market outside of the European Union to receive a fully comprehensive roll-out of BMWs fuel-saving and performance-preserving EfficientDynamics technology, with 26 of BMW’s 55-vehicle local line-up now featuring the tree-hugging tech.
Regenerative braking, active aerodynamics, engine start-stop and shift prompts for more efficient driving are the new additions to BMW’s EfficientDynamics arsenal, and will supplement the brand’s use of lightweight materials, more efficient engines and improved aerodynamics.
As a consequence, BMW says the 26 updated cars now boast at least a four percent improvement in fuel consumption, with some models scoring as high as 10 or 12 percent.
Crucially, BMW claims the application of EfficientDynamics components won’t impact on the performance of its cars - good news for Beemer buyers who enjoy the occasional back road blast. Prices have increased across much of the range however, but not by more than two percent.
In addition to the new Z4 and 7 Series, BMW has also added the 120d manual, which drinks just 4.8 litres per 100km and emits a paltry 128g/km of CO2 - the lowest figures of any BMW sold here.
The 130i Sport now gets regenerative brakes, as does the 125i and 135i Coupe and Convertible. The 125i two-door also gets active aerodynamics, which directs air away from the radiator when engine cooling isn’t required.
Brake energy regeneration, as BMW calls it, is also standard on the 320d and 335i range, with the latter also receiving the gearshift-prompting system on all manual models. The 520d gets active aerodynamics and regenerative braking, while the 530d and 550i only get the battery-boosting brake tech.
The diesel-powered X3 xDrive20d receives active aero and now chews just 6.7 litres of the black stuff per hundred kilometres. The updated X3 xDrive30d drinks 7.7l/100km, while the xDrive25i and xDrive30i use 9.5 and 9.7l/100km respectively.
Being all-new models, the Z4 and new 7 Series range are packed with efficiency-improving gear. The Z4 receives, among other things, electrical power steering, a more efficient powertrain and drivetrain, a lightweight body and efficiency-promoting gearshift prompts.
Brake energy regeneration is standard across the new 7 Series range, while the 740i also gets the active aerodynamics kit. The 730d is the fuel economy star of the big limousine lineup, requiring only 7.2 litres of diesel per 100km on the combined cycle.
