BMW, LIKE THE VAST majority of car manufacturers, continually works on new ways to make its vehicles more efficient and less polluting.
In 2007 the company introduced its Efficient Dynamics engines, and it uses the term to describe its most fuel-efficient vehicles. Between 1995 and 2008 BMW reduced fuel consumption by 25 per cent across its range. Its vehicles now emit less than 145g/km of carbon dioxide on average, and 30 of its models emit less than 120g/km.
“We will further reduce their emissions by 25 per cent over the coming years,” says Dr Klaus Draeger, the company’s head of research and development.
While BMW has introduced hybrid and electric vehicles and is also working on hydrogen technology, Draeger says: “The combustion engine will remain the most popular for the foreseeable future.”
BMW plans to develop new three-, four- and six-cylinder engines equipped with BMW TwinPower Technology. Of particular significance is a new three- cylinder engine, which will be produced in both petrol and diesel versions. It is due to go on sale in 2013, initially in the 1 Series, with a 3 Series version likely to be released soon afterwards.
The first of the three-cylinder engines is a 1.5-litre petrol variant, complete with TwinPower Turbo technology. Each cylinder has a 500cc capacity, and the engine, in simple terms, is a six-cylinder unit halved; it sounds analogous to a six-cylinder engine too. It uses Valvetronic, BMW’s variable valve control system, and has a balance shaft that has been integrated to reduce vibrations, typically evident in three-cylinder engines.
While the final stats for the new engine have yet to be confirmed, a 1 Series fitted with the new engine we tested produced 180hp and 270Nm of torque. The acceleration from standstill is more akin to that of a larger engine, and plenty of torque is accessible throughout the rev range.
With an eight-speed automatic transmission, it provides instantaneous gear changes, allows for comfortable driving and reacts well in sports mode, improving responses to throttle and steering inputs.
As for the engine acoustics, BMW has mastered cloaking the expected high drone and rattle of a traditional three- cylinder, with a deep throaty note provided from the exhaust and an attractive popping sound if you flat-shift on the up-changes. This becomes addictive as the revs increase, something this engine happily does.
Although BMW will not confirm the final emission and fuel-economy figures, engineers are confident the engine can achieve less than 100g/km of carbon dioxide in the 1 Series – fairly impressive given the power on offer.
Designing and manufacturing a three- cylinder engine is nothing radical – plenty have gone before – and in some ways BMW is coming late to the party. Ford recently launched its impressive 1-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost engine in the new Focus, for example. But BMW deserves credit for creating an engine that will not embarrass the premium badge.
Apart from proudly demonstrating its new three-cylinder engine, BMW is introducing innovations across its Efficient Dynamics range.
One such is its predictive drive train and engine management. Fitted on the flagship 7 Series for now, the predictive driving assistant uses data from the car’s satellite-navigation system to read the road ahead. It can receive information up to 1.5km in advance and will automatically downshift the automatic transmission in anticipation of a corner, selecting the optimum gear to maximise fuel efficiency.
BMW first introduced its active front grille air-vent control in 2003, when it debuted on the 5 Series. Now it is introducing a second generation of the technology. The active air vents automatically open and close, allowing air into the car’s radiator when required; with the flaps closed there is less drag and the engine can heat up more quickly.
The firm is also testing infrared heat surfaces, which will be put within the cabin, on the door cards and in the footwells, to provide instant heat without draining energy from the engine.
BMW has downsized some cars too, with the latest M5 engine being reduced from a V10 to a turbo-charged V8. But the German premium brand is not alone in its efforts to innovate, and it needs to move forward at speed or become an also-ran.
That’s a challenge not only for the engineers but also for the accountants who must secure investment for research and development at a time when the motor industry is gripped by recession and fears a further slide in sales.
In the meantime we can look forward to the arrival of a three-cylinder petrol engine in upcoming 1 Series models, and perhaps even in the 3 Series and 5 Series ranges. That would be a radical shift for both the brand and its customer base.