BMW luxury car sales February 2012 ; After just losing out to Mercedes-Benz in the first salvo of the luxury sales battle in 2012, BMW can now boast that it topped Mercedes in February with 21,204 vehicles sold, an increase of 29.2 percent. Buoyed by sales of the all-new 2012 model, 3 Series sales were up 66.3 percent to 8103 vehicles sold in February. BMW’s second and third best-sellers continue to be the 5 Series and X5, respectively. 5 Series sales were down 4.0 percent, with 4042 sedans sold, while X5 sales were up 21.8 percent with 3224 vehicles sold. BMW noted an increase in all models save for the aforementioned 5 Series, and the 1 Series, which was down 30.0 percent year-over-year with just 605 sold. The ActiveHybrid 5 will be BMW’s first hybrid car on sale in the UK, and combines 340hp plus 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds with average fuel economy of 44.1mpg.
BMW says this means it has the performance of a 535i but consumes 16% less fuel, and sits a whole SIX company car bands lower than the 535i. With CO2 emissions of 149g/km, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 will potentially save £hundreds in tax bills.
To create the hybrid 5 Series, BMW has paired the 535i’s 306hp 3.0-litre turbo petrol engine with a 54hp electric motor and eight-speed gearbox. It means the ActiveHybrid 5 can travel for nearly 2.5 miles on zero tailpipe emissions electric power alone, so long as speeds are below 37mph.
At speeds of up to 100mph, the ActiveHybrid 5 can also cruise in ‘ECO PRO’ mode: when the driver lifts the accelerator, the engine cuts out to again give zero tailpipe emissions running, until the accelerator is applied again.
The electric motor also produces 154lb.ft of torque from rest, meaning acceleration from a standstill will be much more immediate. The electric motor has been integrated into the gearbox housing: the lithium ion batteries are stored in the boot, but they’re compact enough to ensure there’s still 375 litres of space there.
Cleverly, BMW fits standard sat nav that’s linked into the car’s ECU. This means it can read the road ahead and prepare the drivetain to suit. BMW says that if, for example, a hilly stretch is detected ahead, more energy is stored in the batteries in advance, so there’s plenty of power to support the engine when needed.
BMW ActiveHybrid 5 buyers get some bespoke features to stand out alongside other 5 Series: an ‘ActiveHybrid 5′ badge on the C-pillars, the BMW double kidney grille has chrome slats, there are matt chrome tailpipes and an aluminium plate on the centre console. There’s also a special engine cover and, to help impress the neighbours, an ‘ActiveHybrid Power Unit’ badge on the battery cover in the boot.
UK sales of the £46,860 BMW ActiveHybrid 5 start on 25 February 2010.
However, do not assume that the hybrid name automatically makes the ActiveHybrid 5 the greenest performance BMW. The existing 535d diesel produces 313hp and accelerates to 60mph in 5.7 seconds, while also averaging 52.3mpg and emitting 142g/km CO2. It is also cheaper, at £44,290…
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