First drive: BMW's newest diesel is number One!

Significant: BMW thinks the 120d will comprise one-fifth of all 1 Series sales.

120d is BMW's first four-pot diesel, but this small oil-burning atch is no slouch

BMW Australia has moved to avail itself of the surge indiesel engines with the arrival this week of the 2.0-litre 120d, a model variant that is expected to make up 20 per cent of overall 1 Series sales.Joining the 320d small-medium car, 530d large car and the X3 and X5 3.0d 4WDs as the oil-burning Beemers available in Australia, the 120d hatch is priced from $47,800 and is fitted with a six-speed Steptronic automatic as standard.

It shares its 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with the 320d and develops 115kW at 4000rpm and 330Nm at 2000rpm.

Fuel economy is a strongpoint, with a combined cycle of 6.6L/100km, while highway touring will further improve fuel consumption to just 5.5L/100km. With a 51-litre fuel tank, the 120d is claimed to have a touring range of more than 900km.

The arrival of the latest BMW diesel has been prompted by the growing availability of low-sulphur diesel fuel.

In Australia, the overall passenger diesel segment has grown significantly over the past few years.

In 2004 just 1885 diesel passenger cars were sold throughout Australia, but in 2005 demand rocketed with about 6800, representing an increase of 260 per cent in just one year.

So far this year diesel passenger car sales are up 69 per cent with 2205 private buyers opting for this type of engine, according to VFACTS industry figures. Business purchases of diesel are up 109 per cent for the January to April first quarter.

Diesel technology boasts other advantages apart from fuel efficiency. It offers strong pulling power from low down the rev range, a feature which BMW claims fits well with the driving dynamics of the 1 Series. 

Being a "north-south" rear-drive diesel BMW also claims the car’s handling dynamics are not compromised.

The 120d features the latest-generation common-rail technology with a pressure of 1600 bar, as well as an exhaust gas turbocharger with variable turbine geometry.

BMW claims it offers V6-style performance and will sprint to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds on its way to a 215km/h top speed.

Because of the higher combustion demands, the 120d engine is more heavily reinforced to handle the higher combustion pressures needed for ignition. The engine also has electronic engine noise control and balancer shafts for smooth running.

Standard features on the model include a leather-clad multi-function steering wheel, automatic climate-control air-conditioning, a trip computer, CD stereo and a 60/40 split-fold rear seat.

Also standard are 17-inch "V-spoke" BMW alloy wheels with runflat tyres, rain-sensing windscreen wipers and automatic headlight control.

Among the safety systems onboard are automatic stability and traction (ASC+T) dynamic stability control (DSC), dynamic traction control (DTC), ABS brakes, dynamic brake control, (DBC), cornering brake control (CBC) and electronic brake-force distribution (EBD).

Tokyo show: BMW winds up the 1

Back to the Future:Lightweight BMW concept car features old-fashioned black bonnet and even Monaro-style stripes.

Munich maker unveils 1 Series Coupe racing concept

WE SAW the first official images of BMW’s cracking new 1 Series Coupe so long ago it is hard to believe the range-topping 135i twin-turbo two-door has only now made its global motor show debut in Tokyo.

It seems BMW concurs because it also used the occasion to reveal the curiously named “BMW Concept 1 Series Tii” alongside the 135i, which was launched in Europe last week and goes on sale here in June.

Likely to be a fanciful insight into what a race-ready version of BMW’s smallest model could look like – rather than previewing a forthcoming 1 Series variant that delivers even more performance than the 135i – the 1 Series Tii pays homage to the potent and iconic 2002 Tii compact coupe of 1972.

In doing so, however, the carbon-fibre-brandishing Tii, for which no engine, performance or weight details are available, highlights the fact the 135i coupe is actually only 50kg lighter than the similarly-engined 335i coupe at 1485kg – despite riding on a shorter wheelbase and being smaller overall.

It is clear the Tii has undergone a crash diet to deliver even more performance and to answer critics who say the 135i is not light enough, but perhaps BMW would have been wiser to reveal the 1 Series-based X1 mini-SUV that many had expected to surface in compact-car-crazy Japan.

Revealed in Tokyo alongside the 135i coupe on which it is based, BMW calls the Tii concept a “design study based on the 1 Series Coupe with an uncompromising focus on motorsport”.

It is the fifth concept to emerge from BMW this year alone, following the M3 Concept, the Concept CS and the Concept X6/ActiveHybrid.

Heralding the Tii’s more formidable performance are more aerodynamic front and rear airdams and side skirts, plus roof decals and contrasting bootlid and bonnet paint, while “special gurney flaps” on the rear axle are claimed to generate additional downforce.

Weight-saving elements include a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFP) bonnet that also features airflow-aiding fins, wing mirrors, front side air inlets and rear spoiler, while a visible tow-hook continues the motorsport theme.

Inside, there are sports bucket seats with integrated head restraints and side airbags, an alcantara-clad three-spoke sports steering wheel (with white spokes) and gearshifter, plus specific door trims, doorhandles and driver’s armrest.

Along with a contrasting M-style black, white and blue interior colour scheme, there is a white tachometer and “newly developed structure tissue for the footwell”, which is said to “accentuate the sporting and functional character of the interior”.

BMW has said it will not produce an M1-badged version of the 1 Series, but the Tii concept shows that, if it did, less weight rather than more power are likely to be what separates it from the already-tantalising 225kW/400Nm rear-drive 135i coupe.

News - Alfa Romeo

Chrysler Oz assumes control of Fiat, Alfa

Bold future: The Alfa Romeo 4C might help fire Italian cars in Australia under new distribution rights.

Fiat, Alfa find new home with Chrysler which pledges to re-energise Italian brand

THE factory-owned Chrysler Australia will take control of Fiat and Alfa Romeo distribution in Australia and New Zealand from May 1, assuming the reins from independent importer Ateco Group.

The widely expected shift of the famous Italian brands to the factory subsidiary was confirmed today after the paperwork was signed in the United States overnight.

Fiat SpA’s top-end end sportscar brands, Ferrari and Maserati, will remain with Ateco’s European Automotive Imports division.

The change – which includes Fiat commercial vehicles and the Abarth brand – means that the sales, marketing and technical support operations for both Alfa and Fiat will be shifted from Ateco’s head office in Sydney to Chrysler Australia in Melbourne, where the latter is preparing to move into new offices in Port Melbourne.

The shift to factory distribution is in line with moves by Italy’s biggest car-maker, Fiat SpA, to integrate its operations with America’s Chrysler Group, which it rescued from bankruptcy with a corporate buy-out during the global financial crisis.

Many of the details of the shift are still being worked out, including details of which jobs will move to Chrysler Australia, which already imports Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles.

Apart from Ferrari and Maserati, Ateco retains the Citroen, Great Wall, Chery and Lotus distribution rights for Australia, and is believed to be on the look out for more Chinese brands to add to its portfolio.

Ateco’s Neville Crichton restored the Alfa and Fiat brands to Australia in 1997 and 2001 respectively, after a chequered history in this country. Ateco also took control of Alfa and Fiat in New Zealand in 2000.

Left: Managing director of Chrysler Australia Clyde Campbell. Below: Fiat 500 Abarth and Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

Announcing the new arrangement, Mr Crichton said Alfa Romeo and Fiat had “a real, live passion for life” that Ateco had been fully involved in.

“But while this makes it all the more hard to say goodbye to these iconic brands, we know that it is that passion that has driven us over the past 15 years and which has made them successful once again in Australia,” he said.

“We know that they now are prepared and positioned for a strong future in Australia and New Zealand, something of which I and everyone who has worked on them at Ateco can justifiably be very proud.”

Chrysler Australia managing director Clyde Campbell pledged to “re-energise” the Italian brands in Australia under Chrysler group management.

“We plan to tap into the inherent talent and expertise of our staff to take the Fiat and Alfa brands to the next level,” he said.

“We aim to apply the same enthusiasm that has driven such a leap forward in terms of our current Chrysler Australia sales.

“I have no doubt we will see a reawakening in the levels of sales awareness and interest for the Fiat and Alfa brands under our management.”

Although Fiat is one of Europe’s larger car companies, it has always struggled in Australia, with importers such as LNC trying and giving up over the years.

Currently, Fiat dealers have just one passenger car on their model lists – the diminutive Fiat 500 – while Fiat commercial vehicles dealers have just two nameplates, the Scudo and Ducato.

All up, Fiat and Alfa managed just 2635 vehicles between them in 2011, with Alfa scoring 1091 sales (up 19.4 per cent) and Fiat delivering 1544 vehicles (up 13.3 per cent).

Chrysler Australia found homes for 11,929 vehicles last year, with sales dominated by its rugged Jeep SUVs with 8648 sales, up a whopping 44.2 per cent.

By contrast, Chrysler-branded cars achieved just 580 sales and Dodge sold 2701 units.

As GoAuto reported yesterday, Chrysler Australia has its eyes on next month’s Beijing motor show where the Fiat-Chrysler alliance’s push into the Asia-Pacific region will be outlined by CEO of both Fiat and Chrysler, Sergio Marchionne.

This push, including both China and Australia, will address the alliance’s biggest regional weakness and help to take the global fight up to major competitors General Motors, Toyota and Renault-Nissan, all of which have a firm foothold in the world’s biggest car market, China.

Fiat is expected to launch a new Chinese-built model, the Viaggo small car, at the Beijing push. A rebadged Dodge Dart, which itself is based on the Alfa Giulietta platform, the Viaggio might be exported to Europe to replace the Fiat Bravo hatchback, according to Automotive News.

If it is made in right-hand drive for the UK, this might mean it could also be destined for Australia where CGA is facing the prospect of missing out on the new Dodge Dart due to lack of right-hand drive variants.

Mr Marchionne foreshadowed a shake up of the Australian Fiat-Alfa import arrangements at the Detroit motor show in January, saying a restructure could be expected in 60 to 90 days.

From May 1, all 17 Fiat and Alfa passenger car outlets, along with 22 Fiat commercial vehicle retail sites, will report to Chrysler Australia.

Alfa and Fiat join other brands handled by Ateco that, after finding a footing in this country, have moved into factory distribution. These include Volkswagen, Suzuki and Kia.

Countdown to Frankfurt debut of Audi’s Urban Concept hots up with raft of new images

MORE images of Audi’s quirky buggy-like Urban Concept EV have emerged in the countdown to its official debut at the Frankfurt motor show on September 13.

Audi has issued dozens of three-dimensional renderings – but no further details – depicting in detail the exterior and interior of Sportback and open-roof Spyder variants of its open-wheeled “ultra-light car for congested urban spaces”.

However, the official images still more closely represent the vehicle revealed in sketches so far this month than the heavily-disguised one that became an internet phenomenon after it was spotted in filming for a teaser video at Berlin’s busy Potsdamer Platz, as GoAuto reported on August 10.

In contrast to the low-slung, tall-wheeled vehicle in images published by Audi, the Berlin car had a shorter, more steeply-angled nose with front-mounted headlights flanking the Audi logo rather than the sleek back-swept units shown in the images.

It also rode higher on small wheels fitted with the type of mudguards traditionally fitted to sportscars like Caterhams and the Ariel Atom rather than being almost entirely enclosed by fairings described by Audi as featuring “blinking strips of LED lights”.

The detailed interior shots show the rectangular multi-function steering wheel to feature paddle-shifter-style indicator switches, gear selector buttons, audio controls and twin thumb-wheels for accessing various modes and menus on the combined instrument and navigation display.

A small and simple ventilation control unit with concentric temperature and fan-speed dials protrudes from the dashboard, while controls to alter the distance of the pedals and steering wheel to the fixed seat are located on the sill beside the driver’s knee.

On the Spyder, the pedal and steering wheel adjustment controls are accompanied by buttons to open and close the doors – the Sportback is apparently accessed by sliding the roof backwards like a jet-fighter, although Audi says access is gained through the “tailgate”.

The driver’s seat has a gap between the thigh supports, which would make entering and exiting the vehicle via the opened roof easier as it necessitates negotiating a high sill.

The concept’s occupants sit in a staggered formation, secured by seatbelts that pass through apertures in the seatbacks and fasten the opposite way to a conventional car – presumably because there is no room for outboard-mounted inertia-reel mechanisms.

Audi said the concept is propelled by two “e-tron electric motors” that take power from lithium-ion batteries. They appear from images to drive the rear wheels.

Audi describes the vehicle’s exposed suspension as “elaborate” and its performance “sporty”, thanks to its development being “solely oriented on the strict principles of lightweight construction, efficiency and reduction”, exemplified by the cockpit, which integrates the fixed seat bases, being formed from carbon-fibre.

The Ingolstadt-based brand said this results in “a concept car with no unnecessary weight, and one that concentrates on the pure essence of sporty motion”.

UK magazine Autocar reports the car is 3200mm long, 1700mm wide and 1200mm high and that its 15kW brushless motor can propel the sub-500kg car from 0-60km/h in 6.3 seconds (on the way to a limited 100km/h top speed) with a battery range of up to 60km.

The Urban Concept is the strongest signal yet that Audi is intent on entering the sustainable mobility market like its German rivals BMW and Daimler, which have respectively announced the launch of i-brand models and third-generation Smart ForTwo EV in recent weeks.

However, French brand Renault continues to lead the way with vehicles of this type and is already taking deposits for its electric Twizy scooter-car.

Renault’s alliance partner Nissan is also working on an electric city-car thought to be based on the 2009 Land Glider concept that leans into corners like a four-wheeled motorcycle.

Aston Martin is introducing new models and concepts at a record pace lately, with the DB9 having just been announced a few short months ago at the Frankfurt motor show. Hardly a surprise, a DB9 drop top will follow the coupe filling the void left by the outgoing DB7 convertible. 

Filling the void left by the outgoing DB7 Volante, Aston Martin's DB9 drop top will be introduced at the Detroit auto show in January. (Photo: Aston Martin)

daset to debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit during the first week of January 2004, the DB9 Volante (convertible in Aston Martin speak) looks every bit as enticing as its hardtop sibling. Sports car aficionados will have no difficulties placing its heritage, at least from its front where the brand's trademark frowning grille is even larger than the outgoing DB7. The DB9's lines are cleaner overall too, gracefully integrating larger headlamp clusters into curvaceous front fenders that flow rearward into soft shoulder lines with one fluid movement, bypassing classic engine vents just aft of the front wheel cutouts as they make there way back to a much improved rear end design. 

Sports car aficionados will have no difficulties placing the DB9's heritage, at least from its front where the brand's trademark frowning grille is even larger than the outgoing DB7 shown here. Also, this photo shows the bundled drop top that now gets hidden by a flush mounted tonneau. (Photo: Aston Martin)

Just like the coupe, the convertible benefits from the distinctive taillight treatment first shown on the AMV8 Vantage that debuted in Detroit last year, a wonderful yet radical progression from the somewhat generic rear lamps of the DB7. A subtle Kamm-type rear decklid directs air overtop and beyond the car while providing some aerodynamic downforce. No matter what angle I look at it, the new DB9 Volante is simply gorgeous. 

It makes sense that Aston Martin's CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, would agree. During the Volante's introduction he stated, "The DB9 Volante has all of the traditional styling cues you'd expect from a convertible Aston Martin. It's very elegant and perfectly proportioned from every angle, while subtle embellishments help create a powerful-looking sports car.

On certain days, I feel like I'm blessed by the Gods. It's as if a particularly dedicated guardian angel watched over me and made me live the most unforgettable experiences on Earth. I recently had one of those blessed days. Accompanied by a friend of mine, I was able to drive one of the rare Aston Martin DB9s that were sold in Canada over the last couple of months. (I only tested the DB9 Coupe and not the drop-top version called Volante.) A divine car, if such a thing exists. Let's make things perfectly clear: an Aston Martin is not just another product for people to buy. With its presence and aura, one could easily believe that this car was made in heaven. So much so that when I gripped the steering wheel for the first time, I immediately felt untouchable -- kind of like Agent 007 upon accepting a new mission. Grace  Behind said wheel, the driver suddenly feels an unprecedented feverishness. This exaltation first comes from the reputation, since the Aston Martin legend, notwithstanding a few reliability nightmares, is about aristocracy in its purest form. The English automaker has indeed managed to conquer the heart of everyone who gets a taste of its cars by offering a unique, refined driving experience -- with no comparison possible. It couldn't be truer with the proud successor of the DB7, the DB9, which hasn't changed one iota since being launched in 2005. And understandably so: one does not mess with near perfection. The real divine moment happens when you start the engine. Don't waist your time turning the key or moving the clutch shifter -- both are useless. Simply by pressing your finger on the S button (for "Start", obviously), your entire body literally begins to vibrate. It's a fact that the sound of the 450-hp V12 engine is worthy of being considered among the great classics of music.  A gentle tap on the throttle sets off a sweet symphony that charms the ears of every enthusiast and truly gives the impression that a docile yet powerful beast rests underneath your right foot.  Touring or sports car? Once the engine has warmed up, you have to use the tip of your fingers to launch the car, as the six-speed automatic transmission is controlled via paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The DB9 does not merely accelerate; it literally pounces and surges forward like a giant, gracious feline. The linear power of the 6.0L engine never suffers from the slightest hesitation, regardless of the conditions. The DB9 is hand-built in Gaydon, England.

Get ready for a lot of attention

Summary Rating:
Styling (90%) Accessories (82%) Space and Access(75%) Comfort (85%)	Performance (77%) Driving Dynamics(82%) Safety (85%) General Appreciation(90%)

There are worse ways to spend a Saturday evening. It’s sunny, about 25 degrees Celsius in the heart of Montreal, and I’m about to be handed the key to a spanking-new Aston Martin droptop. Yes, life can be so cruel sometimes.

The car obviously draws a LOT of attention on crowded city streets. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)

A night on the town is just part of the exotic-car ownership experience. One could purchase a car like this hand-built Vantage S to draw attention to themselves more than anything else; other criteria like exclusivity, explosive performance and opulent luxury are relegated to the back burner if all you want is for passers-by to notice you. In this car, they will notice you.

Me? Screw the attention, I’ll take it just for the engine. Every time I crack open the throttle on this megabucks beast, shivers race down my spine, goosebumps on my arms pierce through my shirt and I can’t stop giggling. Driving through a tunnel with the top down increases the intoxication.

Under the hood of the Vantage S thumps a 32-valve, 4.7-litre V8 that ragingly roars more or less above 4,000 rpm, or pretty much all the time when the Sport mode is activated. It develops 430 horsepower (at 7,300 revs thank you) and 361 pound-feet of torque of which three-quarters is available from 1,500 rpm, resulting in wild but controlled launches. Figure a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of about 4.7 seconds.

While cruising topless (the car, not me) downtown, you’ll get immediate feedback from pedestrians who are mesmerized by the car’s sheer beauty and presence. Pointing fingers, yells, whistling and swearing, we heard them all, especially when you acknowledge their pleas for an aural taste of the mellifluous V8. Now, we’re not show-offs, but we can’t help sharing the wealth a little bit.

Our brief drive is providing us with few opportunities to test the car’s handling, but highway entrances and exits presented some 270-degree ramps to play with; as it should, the Vantage S clings to the tarmac like paparazzi to Lindsay Lohan.

The car’s steering rack offers the right amount of power assist at both parallel-parking and open-road speeds. As for the brakes, the trash-can-cover-sized discs get squeezed by six-piston callipers up front and four-piston pinchers out back; mashing the stop pedal is as effective as hitting a brick wall.

The Vantage S gets a nasty 430-horsepower, 4.7-litre V8. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com)