only AWD diesels? raise hell with bmwusa...

http://blogs.edmunds.com/straightlin...eel-drive.html

BMW Says All Future Diesel Models for U.S. Will Be All-Wheel Drive


Inside Line spoke with Jim O'Donnell, CEO of BMW North America, today and learned that all future diesel models the company brings to the U.S. will be all-wheel drive.

That likely means the BMW 335d's days are numbered. There's already a diesel version of the X5. At minimum, we'll expect to see a diesel X3.

my plea to bmwusa via email:

Please look at Audi bringing the A3 tdi. VW has the Jetta tdi. Isn’t the 320d or 318d a natural competitor for those cars? Bring over the more economical models! People will be won over to diesel if they just give it a try, but BMW should understand that the type of folks more inclined to go diesel are not the ones who would pay $45K for any car. What I mean is that the 335d is a great car technically, but not the best way to introduce new diesels over here. Offer something at the lower end of the range- not an x3 diesel. An affordable, sporty, relatively economical vehicle. Maybe a 1-series diesel?

please help by writing them too.

a little more on that...

http://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2009...price-premium/

thanks, steve. that sounds a bit more encouraging- especially the cut in price!!

maybe a 320xd? 330xd? either would have more widespread appeal than the x3d IMO (if they are looking at only AWD).

I don't understand - are they saying AWD diesels are more economical than RWD ones?

Originally Posted by mawana

I don't understand - are they saying AWD diesels are more economical than RWD ones?

The way I read the article that steve linked, they are realizing that the premium they've been asking for the 335d over the 335i has been hindering sales. Although this premium is justified by the diesel technology, people over here are hesitant to take the plunge.

BMW may have made a mistake, O'Donnell suggested, by bringing in a 335d sedan that is available only in rear-wheel-drive. He is pushing to have a next-generation 3-Series model with all-wheel-drive, perhaps as early as 2011.

"I think it would work very well," O'Donnell explains, "because one of our major markets is the Northeast and some people in that market won't buy a rear-drive car simply out of principle."

The BMW CEO insists that American motorists are beginning to see the advantages of diesels, including their durability – and the fact that they tend to maintain higher residuals than gasoline-powered vehicles.

i think they are on the right track in the sense that they are targeting the non-traditional BMW owners. I also think they could do even better by offering some lower end diesels without AWD to keep the costs down even further.

Originally Posted by my question to BMW

Please look at Audi bringing the A3 tdi. VW has the Jetta tdi. Isn’t the 320d or 318d a natural competitor for those cars? Bring over the more economical models! People will be won over to diesel if they just give it a try, but BMW should understand that the type of folks more inclined to go diesel are not the ones who would pay $45K for any car. What I mean is that the 335d is a great car technically, but not the best way to introduce new diesels over here. Offer something at the lower end of the range- not an x3 diesel. An affordable, sporty, relatively economical vehicle. Maybe a 1-series diesel?

their response>>

The quote on Edmunds.com was taken somewhat out of context. Jim was referring to the fact that we are reviewing our diesel strategy for the future. We’ve seen that sales of our 335d have been limited in certain markets because it is not offered here with all-wheel drive. As a result, we’re strongly considering making all future US-bound diesels all-wheel drive. It’s not something that has been firmly decided as of yet.

As to our decision to launch with the 335d, BMW as the Ultimate Driving Machine has a somewhat different position within the US automobile market than BMW has in Europe. Given that, we thought it made sense to relaunch diesel here with our most technologically sophisticated diesel engine in our most popular model, hence the 335d. We also felt that offering that engine in the X5 also made a lot of sense.

As such, in true BMW fashion and in the spirit of our EfficientDynamics philosophy the 335d, with 265 horsepower and 425lb-ft of torque and capable of accelerating from 0 – 60 mph in six seconds flat, became the fastest diesel vehicle you could buy in the US. It’s also the most fuel efficient six-cylinder diesel you can buy here. The 335d is also, incidentally, the most fuel efficient vehicle BMW has ever sold in the US.

We plan to look at a variety of possible alternatives moving forward but with the 335d, we have left no doubt that a diesel BMW can be a true BMW.

I hope others will contact BMW and let them know you want more diesel options.

this is what we need:

BMW is unveiling an ultra-efficient variant of their already miserly 320d at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. The new EfficientDynamics Edition promises an exhilarating driving experience, premium appointments and CO2 emissions of just 175 grams per mile.

In a swaggering press release that rivals the North Korean state-run media for sheer prosaic bombast, BMW says their new ultra-clean diesel is an “unprecedented combination of low emissions and sheer driving pleasure” capable of “a standard of efficiency never seen before.” Unlike the Hermit Kingdom, the 320d’s otherworldly achievements come not from the hard work of a Dear Leader, but from aerodynamic improvements, a tall differential and a unique flywheel design.

An M3 it ain’t — top speed is 140 mph and 0-60 takes a little over 8 seconds — but the sedan is still a potential class-leader in the premium low-emissions segment being courted by all the major European automakers. It’s only natural that a car so sensible could never be imported to North America, so it should come as no surprise that it will only be available in Germany, Italy, France and Spain.


Aside from a slightly lowered suspension, the EfficientDynamics Edition (we just can’t bear to abbreviate it as “ED Edition”) looks like any other 3-Series with one exception: unique “Aero” rims that decrease wind resistance. The big changes start under the hood, where a specially-built engine features a centrifugal force pendulum incorporated into the dual mass flywheel in order to dampen vibration at low revs. BMW hopes the new engine design will not only prove acoustically agreeable but also encourage drivers to use higher gears more often instead of downshifting to avoid clatter.

In addition to the upgraded powertrain, the new car borrows from BMW’s little green bag of fuel-efficiency tricks already in use across their lineup. Standard features include regenerative braking, a start-stop function, low rolling-resistance tires, an electric power steering motor that operates only when needed and a diesel particulate filter fitted close to the engine. Combined, the emission management features help the car exceed European Union standards that, BMW oh-so-coyly notes, are “relevant to taxation in many countries.”

Best of all, BMW says that as a matter of policy the new car will be offered at the same price as the “regular” 320d which will still available — albeit only in Europe.

That last article certainly pounded the problem with the anticipated diesels.

Darn fuel economy is going to bankrupt our country. How are we going to get out of debt without all that federal gas tax money?

Stupid idea having a fuel efficient vehicle that only has a top speed of 140mph. How will mom and the kids get to school on time ? or the Mall? or through a fast food drive through ?

And 0-60 in 8 seconds. Pathetic. Why, my 12 year Sable could almost match that!

And what's with this torgue thing, anyway? What's a pound feet??

And if we eliminate emissions, how are we going to justify global warming taxes - Cap and Trade?

Whole idea is just crazy talk! Nobody would buy a diesel in this country !

Dang fools !

Now if we could just get rid of all the 18-wheelers and Diesel-electric train sets...... and ships and stuff....

It's so sad to think that if I want super high mpg I have to buy a Prius or keep my VW TDI. I really want the Ultimate Driving Machine....but they only sell those in Europe (320d)......