Frankfurt 2009: 2010 BMW X1 shows up

While us Americans will probably never get the three- and/or five-door 1 Series, we will be getting the new BMW X1. Here's your pudding proof. For some this is a maddening reality. For others it's like music you dislike. Still, we were a bit surprised by how much we liked the looks of the X1, especially in brown. With a grill lifted right off the 7-Series and a sinister set of angel eyes, the X1 is easily twice as handsome as big brother X3. Which might very prove to be the X1's major selling point. Just like the 3 Series and the 1 Series, the X3 and X1 are very closely related, not only in terms of powertrains, but mechanicals and chassis, too.

Engine choices are the usual BMW fare, ranging from the 258 hp double-VANOS straight-six in the xDrive28i to the 295 lb-ft of torque twin-turbo and common-rail diesel xDrive23d to less powerful diesel models like the 258 lb-ft xDrive20d/sDrive20d. There's also the sDrive18d which can get up to a BMW claimed 54.3 imperial miles per gallon. If you've somehow forgotten, the "x" in BMW-speak stands for AWD and the "s" stands for RWD. BMW claims the latter is the "most efficient rendition of spontaneous driving pleasure." If you can figure out what that means, let us know.

Frankfurt 2009: 2010 BMW 5 Series GT

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo took a whirl on the plinth and we have to admit it doesn't look the least bit absurd standing in person. We completely forgot to be offended at the fact we're being handed this instead of the perfectly fantastic 5 Series Sport Wagon. At least, until we played around with the dual-action lift gate -- then the word "gimmick" did flit through our cranial region for a moment.

BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo – Click above for high-res image gallery

Still, it's not bad, and on the road it looks like it has the potential to get a whole lot better. As the Hesse-novel-length press release after the jump explains, the car will combine the legroom of the 7 Series, head room of the X5, 59.5 cubic feet of storage space, and a base diesel with 245 hp and 43 mpg. Go for gold, and there's a V8 twin turbo with 407 hp and a 5.5-second run to 60. Check it out for yourselves in the gallery of high-res photos below.

Frankfurt 2009: BMW 7 Series Active Hybrid

2010 BMW ActiveHybrid 7 - Click above for a high-res image gallery

BMW isn't taking any chances with its reputation for dynamics with the 7 Series Active Hybrid. To its 449-hp and 479-lb-ft 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 heart it adds a 60-pound, 35-cell lithium-ion battery in the boot. The battery doesn't take too much away from the trunk since it replaces the rear-seat air-conditioning unit from the standard 7.

The battery boosts maximum torque to 516 lb-ft when everything is really humming, and that gets the huge-ish hybrid to 60 in 4.9 seconds rowing through the eight-speed automatic. The battery, a judicious foot, and hybrid stalwarts like brake energy regeneration can get you 25 mpg. Until Brad and Angelina finish with their Hydrogen 7, this is your best bet for a caring Bavarian luxo-barge.

BMW Confirms Four-Cylinder 3-Series For U.S.

While the rest of the world can opt for fuel-efficient gasoline and diesel four-cylinder versions of the 3-Series, the entry-level model in the U.S. sports a six-cylinder powerplant. Given the current concerns about climate change and the increasing cost of fuel, officials at BMW are now planning to add a four-cylinder engine to its U.S. lineup.

The move would almost certainly boost sales, since the European 320i, powered by a 167 horsepower gasoline four-cylinder is already one of the company's strongest-selling models. The engines planned for the U.S. will feature turbocharging technology, however.

2009 BMW 3-Series

The information comes from BMW’s U.S. chief Jim O'Donnell, who revealed at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show that the introduction of the powerplants, equipped with the automaker's next-generation twin turbochargers, “is the goal and we will do it.” The car will be available for sale in spring of 2012.

If successful, BMW intends on adding four-cylinder engines to its X1 and X3 crossovers in the U.S. as well.

O'Donnell explained that the move is part of the company’s goal to meet tough new fuel economy standards coming into the U.S. between now and 2016. In line with the new standards, automakers will have to boost the fuel economy of their fleets by 5% every year before a national standard of 35.5 mpg takes effect in 2016.

Rival Mercedes-Benz has already decided to bring four-cylinder cars, including its new diesels, to the U.S. and Canada in 2010, proving even luxury and premium brands aren't entirely immune from the more mundane considerations of efficiency.

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept Live At Frankfurt

2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

We've all seen the photos and videos of BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept for a few weeks now, but even that level of familiarity isn't enough to dull the impact of the car's appearance from arm's length.

Live shots from the floor of the Frankfurt auto show reveal the Vision concept to be as much about design as it is about efficiency, and it's serious about efficiency.

The concept is powered by a 1.5-liter, 163-horsepower three-cylinder turbodiesel with two electric motors (one for each axle) powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. Together, the whole system delivers 390 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. This hybrid drive system isn't the only efficient aspect of the car, however.

It's also good for just 50 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer (though, of course, they're variable, since this is a plug-in hybrid design), and it's good for 31 miles on electricity alone.

For the full skinny on the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, check out our coverage of its initial release--but not before you get sucked into the live gallery below.

2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

2009 BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

2011 BMW X1 Makes Public Debut

2011 BMW X1

Way back at the beginning of July, BMW revealed full details and images of the BMW X1. People immediately began to ask, "Why?" It's not without good reason the question is raised; it's uncomfortably close in size to the X3, and though Europeans will get a range of small and efficient diesel engines, it's not clear how Americans--BMW's biggest market--will benefit from the just-barely-smallest SUV in the brand's lineup.

Live photos from the Frankfurt auto show taken today reveal the car as it looks from eye-level, rather than in the often distorting light of the studio, and it has to be said it looks smaller than the X3 in person.

2011 BMW X1

Marketing for the X1 is also playing up the vehicle's split city-sporty personality, casting it as a more youthful alternative to the other SUVs and crossovers in the BMW range. And that may be the key to BMW's desire to sell a slightly smaller, slightly decontented X1 alongside the X3: pricing, and market position.

Whatever the reasoning behind the X1, however, it's an attractive vehicle inside and out. Check out the gallery below, or read up on our coverage of the official release of the 2011 BMW X1.

Photos: 2010 BMW X5 Facelift

We have seen photos of the facelifted version of the BMW X5 before, but now we can show the vehicle almost completely undisguised ahead of its expected debut by the end of this year. The second-generation E70 X5 model was introduced in late 2006 so a facelift around the end of the decade is right on cue for the SUV’s mid-cycle update, coming in time for the 2010 model year.

Changes to the X5’s styling will be subtle, with new bumpers added both front and rear as revealed by these latest spy shots. Larger air intakes in the front fascia are the primary change. Slight styling revisions inside, such as the addition as BMW’s second-generation iDrive system, and new alloy wheel designs should also make the cut.

The current lineup of engines will carry over largely unchanged but there will be the new hybrid model and U.S. customers will be able to opt for BMW’s brilliant 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine as well. Another new addition will be the xDrive 50i from the X6.

So, when will the facelifted BMW X5 be unveiled? The most likely point would be next year’s Detroit auto show in January but an earlier reveal at this year’s Los Angeles auto show in November cannot be discounted.