Category: BMW

The BMW X5 xDrive40e is a piece of automotive history in the making – with the appearance of an SAV but the consumption of a small car. This impressive plug-in hybrid has something to offer urban drivers and commuters alike.

First Appearances

While the BMW X5 xDrive40e boasts a design that is typically X, everything under the hood is geared towards efficient, future-focussed motoring. By integrating the principles of electric mobility into the format of a luxury SAV, we’ve shifted the perceptions of what’s possible when it comes to larger vehicles, as well as a plug-in hybrid.

The eDrive lettering at the rear and front and side door sills are perhaps the only, albeit subtle, optical difference to the BMW X5. What really sets it apart from its counterpart though, is the range in the purely electric mode. It can drive approximately 30 kilometres locally emission-free and with zero fuel consumption.

Efficient In Any Situation

As a plug-in hybrid, the BMW X5 xDrive40e has various different drive modes that allow the driver to significantly influence the actual energy consumption. This depends on both the driving mode selected and the driver’s personal behaviour. When the battery is fully charged, you can drive for approximately 30 kilometres without using a single drop of fuel. In the AUTO eDrive mode, the optimal combination of electric motor and combustion engine enables the focus to be placed on top-quality efficiency.

When driving in the city, the BMW X5 xDrive40e exploits the strengths of the plug-in hybrid to the full. Short distances can be covered in the fully electric mode, and driving in the hybrid mode enables combined fuel consumption of 3.3 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 77 g/km. Enjoy low-consumption driving fun even for long distances because the combined overall range of the BMW X5 xDrive40e is 830 kilometres.

Control Your Drive

When it comes to driving style, the BMW X5 xDrive40e offers its driver a chance to influence the energy consumption with different drive modes.

While Auto eDrive mode delivers the most efficient combination of the electric motor and combustion engine – for a high enjoyment, low emission experience. Max eDrive is all about purely electric driving and the car will only switch to the combustion engine once the acceleration potential in electric has been reached. With the Save Battery mode, you can charge the battery of the car by using the combustion engine. This allows for more battery capacity, which means more electric driving.

There’s also the addition of the predictive selection feature, which allows you to enter a destination into the navigation system, and let your car decide the best and most efficient mode to select.

Charged And Ready To Go

Whether at a conventional household power socket or using the BMW i Wallbox, charging the high-voltage battery of the BMW X5 xDrive40e couldn’t be easier.

In fact, BMW South Africa is hard at work to ensure that electric mobility is a viable option in the country, with ChargeNow public charging stations quickly emerging in key locations across South Africa.

BMW South Africa is proud to have partnered with the Cape Town Cycle Tour over the past weekend. Not only was it the 41st installment of the event, but the very first to include a BMW cycling team – which made for an exciting race. There was also a very special appearance from the all-new BMW 8 Series Coupé which led the cyclists to the finish line.

Set amongst the picturesque vistas of the Cape Peninsula, the Cape Town Cycle Tour spans over 109 km and while beautiful, is also a gruelling test of human endurance. No stranger to performance, BMW was there to lead the cyclists to the finish – and even compete.

A PHOTO FINISH.

First in was the breath-taking BMW 8 Series Coupé Lead vehicle, followed by the winner of the 41^st Cape Town Cycle Tour, Sam Gaze, in a jaw-dropping time of 02:38:42.

Not to be outdone, all the members of Team BMW crossed the finish line – in true BMW style.With our dashing kits, we even received some unexpected cheering and chants of “Go BMW” from the crowd as we cycled in.

Some of the team celebrating their finish.

MEET THE TEAM

A total of 40 cyclists rode out under the Team BMW banner with their smart matching race kits and winning attitudes.

Team BMW with their mascot before the race.

Among the team were not only some of our BMW drivers but some lucky Facebook competition winners too and our very own CEO, Mr Tim Abbott.

BMW South Africa CEO, Mr Tim Abbott, on the move.

IN TOP FORM

Guests were not only treated to a view of the all-new BMW 8 Series Coupé in action, it was on display along with the much-anticipated BMW 3 Series in the hospitality area after the race. It was a close encounter with luxury on the back of an exhilarating day on the road.

The 8 on display.

All round, the 41^st Cape Town Cycle Tour was a knockout weekend and definitely one for the BMW South Africa history books – hopefully the first of many races our top-class cycling team. Watch the highlights video here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barely on the road and the all-new BMW 3 Series Sedan is already leaving everything behind it, including conventions and expectations. Once again the icon displays how to reinvent itself. After all, with the pioneering design language, it stands for the dawning of a new era. Propelling the ultimate sports sedan are even more powerful and efficient engines. And a new force – simply say “Hey BMW” and the all-new BMW 3 Series recognises your voice and heeds your every word.

 

BMW 330i Sedan(3):
Fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined): 6.1–5.8
CO2 emissions in g/km (combined): 139–132

BMW 320d Sedan:
Fuel consumption in l/100 km (combined): 4.7–4.4 [4.5–4.2]
CO2 emissions in g/km (combined): 122–115 [117–110]

Some exciting changes are sweeping through SMG Umhlanga. We are developing the dealership of the future and in order to do this, we will be moving to temporary premises in Mount Edgecombe and near the Cornumbia Precinct.

As of 1 August, you can visit us at:
89 Flanders Drive
Mount Edgecombe, 4300

Our new BMW and BMW Approved Used Car showrooms, workshop, parts department, Motorrad and administrative offices will all operate from this address.

SMG is excited to host you to a BMW Ride and Drive experience. BMW has been rated as the most aspirational motor vehicle brand in the world for 2 years running. This is your chance to experience Sheer Driving Pleasure and an introduction to finding your dream BMW.

Elegance, emotional and alluring. These are just three words to describe the BMW concept M8 Gran Coupe. When released, the BMW 8 Series will take over as the new flagship model in the BMW line up and the M8 concept gives us a hint into what the most exotic variant of the 8 Series range has to offer.

The aim of the M8 is summed up perfectly by Domagoj Dukec, Vice President Design BMW M and BMW i. “With this car we want to reach people who are looking for something special and who want to stand out from the crowd. Here, BMW M is unmistakably taking luxury out of its comfort zone.”

Although no performance figures are available, we only need to look at the powerful design to imagine the kind of driving experience on offer.  Large, bold kidney grilles are complimented by razor sharp headlight elements while the broad air intakes give us the impression of a fire breathing monster. Dynamic flowing lines across the side of body lead us to bolstered wheel arches, encompassing the wide rear track- giving us another hint of its high-performance nature.  Engulfed in the rear diffuser are 4 tail-pipes laid out in true “M” fashion while slim, sharp tail lights complete a rear end that everyone wants to follow.

We expect the reveal of the production model M8 Gran Coupe to be in 2019, and while many of the futuristic features will most likely be dimmed down we do see the future in which BMW design is heading, with the BMW I Vision Dynamics concept providing much inspiration.

If this is the future of BMW, the future is bright.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After a production run of 35 years and 1 191 604 units over five generations, local manufacturing of the BMW 3-series officially ended at the German automaker’s Rosslyn Plant near Pretoria on February 21st, as attention now moves to assembling the X3 within the coming months.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bw38V5OW1E”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Rosslyn, BMW’s first ever assembly plant outside Germany, has produced an impressive 1 191 604 BMW 3 Series sedans over five generations, starting with the second-generation version in 1983, known locally as the ‘Gusheshe’ or ‘Bhotsotso’.

A total of 98 003 were made at Rosslyn between 1983 and 1992, including two engine derivatives – the 333i and 325iS – made  exclusively for the local market.

The third-generation 3 Series sedan – known at the plant as the ‘Dolphin’ – took over at Rosslyn in 1992; significantly bigger than its predecessor, it was available from launch as a four-door for the first time.

84 876 were made at Rosslyn before it gave way to the fourth-generation ‘G-String’ model in 1997, so named because of the shape of its steering wheel. Production lasted until 2004, with no fewer than 269 810 rolling off the line.

The fifth generation 3 series – affectionately known as the ‘Tweezer’ by South Africans – was made at Rosslyn from 2004 to 2011; production over its seven-year run totalled 356 257.

The current, sixth generation of the 3 Series sedan  came out in 2012; it was the first with an eight-speed transmission, the first to offer a head-up display and 382 658 of them were made up to yesterday, out of a total of more than two million worldwide – almost one in four 3 Series sedans built worldwide came from Rosslyn.

In November 2015 BMW Group South Africa said it would be investing R6 billion at Rosslyn to install the new production line for the X3 and in October 2017 it threw in an extra R160 million to increase peak capacity from 71 000 cars a year to a record-setting 76 000.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4493″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4491″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]