BMW turns to diesel cars to rev up sales

[anxious]

The Star 2.10.2009 BMW turns to diesel cars to rev up sales It launches four diesel-powered models to make greater impact By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU KUALA LUMPUR: BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd has taken a bold move by introducing four diesel-powered cars to consumers in the hope that such cars will find greater acceptance over time. The company is banking on greater fuel efficiency and more power of the diesel-powered cars – all under the EfficientDynamics tagline – to drive acceptance and sales.“Diesel is something we can do under the EfficientDynamics brand and get an immediate impact,” managing director Geoffrey Briscoe said at the launch of BMW EfficientDynamics yesterday.

MD Geofrey Briscoe with a BMW 520d Sports The cars are the BMW 320d Sports, the BMW 520d Sports Edition, the BMW X3 xDrive20d Executive Edition and the flagship BMW 730Ld. The selling point of the new diesel-powered cars is the fuel efficiency and performance as the 320d Sports costs RM7,000 more than the petrol version. Briscoe said BMW’s diesel-powered engines provided 75% more torque and 15% more horsepower than its petrol versions while consuming 30% less fuel and emitting 20% less carbon monoxide. “Our new BMW EfficientDynamics enable our cars to travel up to 1,000km on a single tank of fuel. For the layman, this means that for every six days of travel, two days are considered free of fuel cost and, more importantly, it is better for the environment,” he said. Based on a rough calculation, BMW claims the payback for the RM7,000 extra for the 320d is three years if the car is driven 15,000km a year. The 320d without insurance costs RM255,800, the 520d RM379,800, the X3 RM333,800 and the 730Ld RM698,800. The prices include BMW’s three-year/60,000km warranty. Briscoe said the improved quality of diesel would help and called it a bonus but the company had been planning to introduce its EfficientDynamics cars for the past 18 months. “The time is right. There is a huge shift in environmental thinking in Malaysia,” he said. Briscoe feels the spread of the benefits of the new diesel-powered cars by word of mouth will slowly drive up demand and sales. BMW said the current Euro 2 standard of diesel in the country, although not perfect for its diesel engines, would not harm its performance and reliability. All four diesel models will be available at BMW Malaysia’s 14 showrooms nationwide from this weekend.

 

[anxious]

I was wondering what the Discover BMW Efficient Dynamics invitation I received was about. I'll probably drop by AB Pg tommorow to check out the new diesel cars.

A few years back I had test driven a 530d which was absolutely mind blowing.

The 320d sounds attractive. I recall that when I visited the BMW factory in Munich a few months ago, the guide informed us that the 320d is as powerful as a 330i.

I believe that almost half of the 3 series sold in the UK are 320d.

I just wonder whether our diesel quality is up to mark now with Euro 2.

 

[astroboy]

These diesel generation engines were designed for Euro diesel beginning year 2000, which is Euro3 with 350ppm of sulphur content or below. We have just switched to Euro2, with 500ppm of sulphur content, which was adopted in Europe back in 1996. Before Euro2M, we were using those with sulphur not exceeding 2000ppm

2000ppm to 500ppm is a big drop and we are not far away from 350ppm.. so I guess that's why BMW Malaysia dare to bring the diesel engine in. In Europe, Euro3 and Euro2 was 4 years apart, at the same rate, we should be getting Euro3 by 2013.

Btw, Europe is on Euro5 diesel now at 10ppm sulphur content, they more going Euro6 soon, below 10ppm.

More about these diesel models and discussion here:
http://www.bmwclubmalaysia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29984

 

[enkil]

Nice line up. Even the engine specs do look good.

 

[anxious]

Test drove the 320d today at AB pg today. Powerful car but I still prefer the 325i and I find the car smoother and quieter. Not that the diesel is noisy but it cant match a petrol's smoothness.

Whilst BMW Malaysia must be credited for bringing back its diesel cars in Malaysia but I feel it'll be sometime before it gets widespread acceptance.

Firstly the quality of diesel has to be improved. It is unlikely that we shall see it done here as it would invariably cause the price of diesel to go up and that would effect transportation cost in Malaysia. I also do not see two types of diesel being sold.

The other set back for diesels would be the resale value as without much acceptance, the car's resale value will be poor and that would drive away purchases. Its a chicken and egg story.

 

[ALBundy]

Test drove the 320d today at AB pg today. Powerful car but I still prefer the 325i and I find the car smoother and quieter. Not that the diesel is noisy but it cant match a petrol's smoothness.

Whilst BMW Malaysia must be credited for bringing back its diesel cars in Malaysia but I feel it'll be sometime before it gets widespread acceptance.

Firstly the quality of diesel has to be improved. It is unlikely that we shall see it done here as it would invariably cause the price of diesel to go up and that would effect transportation cost in Malaysia. I also do not see two types of diesel being sold.

The other set back for diesels would be the resale value as without much acceptance, the car's resale value will be poor and that would drive away purchases. Its a chicken and egg story.

First of all, you have made a flaw in comparing a 4 cylinder engine versus an inline six where inherently the later is smoother than a 4 pot, diesel or otherwise.

I had the privilege with another forumer here, testing a de-badged 520d (pictures were posted in this forum) a few months back at Cyberjaya extensively, and the 4 pot diesel is as smooth as its petrol cousin. In term's of torque and drivability, the diesel wins hands down.

As for the resale value and also potential for sales, it is just a matter of time before motorists will accept them as equals, if not more. In Thailand, after 3 years of launching its diesel line of cars, about 40% of BMW's total sales are diesels. I believe it will be similar in Malaysia.

Diesel quality definitely needs to be improved to encourage more manufacturers to bring in their latest offerings to Malaysians. One way is to have 2 different types of diesel on sale locally, so the lower grade diesel can be used by transport companies or vehicles that do not need cleaner diesel. The only downside is petrol kiosk owners may need more storage tanks and additional pumps. I think this is where the government can play an important role, to provide assistance and subsidy to make it a reality.

Cheers

 

[anxious]

In UK the 320d cost as much as the 325i. On paper its quite comparable.And of course the 320i is no match for the 320d. Anyway those were my personal observations based on two cars I have driven. I am sure we can agree to disagree.

As for selling two different qualities of diesel in Msia, I doubt if we are going to see it soon in Msia. At least not in the next 3-5 years. Eventually perhaps. Then again Euro 4/5 in UK cost more than petrol.

As for sales in Thailand, anyone know the quality of diesel sold there.

As for resale value, unless the equations change, it pretty much looks gloomy.

Anyway, bravo to BMW Malaysia as the may still be a niche market for such car esp with the likes of Al Bundy.

Cheers too.

 

[dzuljazz2001]

The Star 2.10.2009


BMW turns to diesel cars to rev up sales

It launches four diesel-powered models to make greater impact

By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU

KUALA LUMPUR: BMW Malaysia Sdn Bhd has taken a bold move by introducing four diesel-powered cars to consumers in the hope that such cars will find greater acceptance over time.

The company is banking on greater fuel efficiency and more power of the diesel-powered cars – all under the EfficientDynamics tagline – to drive acceptance and sales.
“Diesel is something we can do under the EfficientDynamics brand and get an immediate impact,” managing director Geoffrey Briscoe said at the launch of BMW EfficientDynamics yesterday.

MD Geofrey Briscoe with a BMW 520d Sports


The cars are the BMW 320d Sports, the BMW 520d Sports Edition, the BMW X3 xDrive20d Executive Edition and the flagship BMW 730Ld.

The selling point of the new diesel-powered cars is the fuel efficiency and performance as the 320d Sports costs RM7,000 more than the petrol version.

Briscoe said BMW’s diesel-powered engines provided 75% more torque and 15% more horsepower than its petrol versions while consuming 30% less fuel and emitting 20% less carbon monoxide.

“Our new BMW EfficientDynamics enable our cars to travel up to 1,000km on a single tank of fuel. For the layman, this means that for every six days of travel, two days are considered free of fuel cost and, more importantly, it is better for the environment,” he said.

Based on a rough calculation, BMW claims the payback for the RM7,000 extra for the 320d is three years if the car is driven 15,000km a year.

The 320d without insurance costs RM255,800, the 520d RM379,800, the X3 RM333,800 and the 730Ld RM698,800. The prices include BMW’s three-year/60,000km warranty.

Briscoe said the improved quality of diesel would help and called it a bonus but the company had been planning to introduce its EfficientDynamics cars for the past 18 months.

“The time is right. There is a huge shift in environmental thinking in Malaysia,” he said.

Briscoe feels the spread of the benefits of the new diesel-powered cars by word of mouth will slowly drive up demand and sales.

BMW said the current Euro 2 standard of diesel in the country, although not perfect for its diesel engines, would not harm its performance and reliability.

All four diesel models will be available at BMW Malaysia’s 14 showrooms nationwide from this weekend.

being a diesel powered car owner myself, cant wait to see if all comments above will be the same a few years later. yes, the diesel standard needs serious attention to all would be owners of these models. i believe the current owners are also aware of the diesel standrad that had posed from minor to major problems to its engine.

Above all, be it BMW, AB or its authorised outlet, has to greatly improved on its Service Standard to compliment this diesel engine coz without proper standard guidline and expertise in servicing this engine, one will definitly feel the pinch and maybe regret buying this machine.

No doubting the power, fuel economy and the stability of these machine.

I have seen the inside of my engine and I can tell you that the sludge build-up will surely posed problems to the manifolds in the long run. Infact, there are cases, problem occurs during warranty. Only a proper periodic preventive maintenance will ensure "Moneys worth".

 

[astroboy]

Apart from replacing engine oil sooner then recommendation, what other things can owners do to "neutralise" the harmful sulphuric acid formed after combustion that erode the piston, piston ring and cylinder, on top of accelerating soot formation in the engine oil?

Please share more..

 

[dzuljazz2001]

personally I would have the in-take manifold be removed and cleaned of all the oil sludge deposits on a regular periodic basis. Thats abot as good as 3 oil changed (30K-50K) but then again,AB/BMW might have different opinion abt the periodic maintenance. To-date they have not come up with anything soild nor conclusive of such maintenance and would not openly admit tht such flaw do exist. I can imagine the cost impact and the economics they have to endure ......

Another area to look at is the glow plugs and the super sensitive injector ......my pistons head is a testimony to this issue. Frankly if AB and BMW can come up with a standard procedure to oversee this 'minor' problem, no major damages will occur and the diesel series is definitly worth the money spent.

 

[Jerman]

I had the privilege with another forumer here, testing a de-badged 520d (pictures were posted in this forum) a few months back at Cyberjaya extensively, and the 4 pot diesel is as smooth as its petrol cousin. In term's of torque and drivability, the diesel wins hands down.

Mr President,
I had only 40+ minutes in the 520d and fully agreed that the torque was excellent which made the "big car" felt small. Great drivability :top:!

However, one need to get used to the chattering diesel engine, vibrations and engine harshness especially during start/stop traffic. Even my passengers felt that !

 

[ALBundy]

In UK the 320d cost as much as the 325i. On paper its quite comparable.And of course the 320i is no match for the 320d. Anyway those were my personal observations based on two cars I have driven. I am sure we can agree to disagree.

As for selling two different qualities of diesel in Msia, I doubt if we are going to see it soon in Msia. At least not in the next 3-5 years. Eventually perhaps. Then again Euro 4/5 in UK cost more than petrol.

As for sales in Thailand, anyone know the quality of diesel sold there.

As for resale value, unless the equations change, it pretty much looks gloomy.

Anyway, bravo to BMW Malaysia as the may still be a niche market for such car esp with the likes of Al Bundy.

Cheers too.

Yeah, of course I have to disagree with you as now it is evident that the basis you used as a comparison, which in this case happened to be the price is seriously flawed.

In Malaysia, well I use Malaysia as we live here not in the UK, the price of the 320d (255k) is significantly lower than the 325 sport (308k, as there is no standard 325 here), as we speak. So the basis of your comparison is flawed again!!

As for the price of diesel in Europe, it is cheaper than RON95.

I just gotten back from Europe, and in the countries I visited, diesel is usually around 1 Euro per liter (or less) and RON 95 is around Euro 1.10 to 1.20 depending which city you are in, as the price varies even from station to station. On a side note, V power racing is RON100 over there, and offered in selected pump stations.

I do not think the diesel cars will attract only a selected small group of consumers, as statistics world wide has shown that it is a matter of time before motorists realised the enormous potential of modern oil burners.

Cheers

 

[Jerman]

...............as statistics world wide has shown that it is a matter of time before motorists realised the enormous potential of modern oil burners.
Cheers

Yes, I believe this is a matter of time, just like Manual vs Auto transmission. Now, more than 95% are AT worldwide vs 20 years ago

 

[ALBundy]

Yes, I believe this is a matter of time, just like Manual vs Auto transmission. Now, more than 95% are AT worldwide vs 20 years ago

In Europe, diesel price is lower than petrol, and yet offers more mileage/liter. It is a no brainer why the masses have opted for the 2 liter turbo diesel engines. Contrary to popular belief, despite the cheaper car prices there, I didn't notice that many ///M cars on the road or even big engine capacity cars due to the exorbitant fuel prices.

It is just a matter of time before fuel prices in this country will increase substantially, given the fact that Malaysia will be a net oil exporter by 2015. By then, everyone will be scrambling for a turbo diesel, anxious included as diesel gives at least 30% better fuel economy. Oh, and modern diesel engines are more environmental friendly too!:top:

Cheers

 

[astroboy]

350Nm of torque at 1,750rpm for the 320d, I won't mind the noise..

4.81L/100km of fuel consumption, while the 325i is doing 12L/100km on average, I won't mind the noise..

128g CO2/km, for a little noise in exchange, its a great trade off. Unless u have better option.. do share with us.

More info here about the magic of N47 modern diesel engines:
http://www.kuli.at/ftp/usermeeting/2009/1_BMW_Nefischer.pdf

 

[Jerman]

In Europe, diesel price is lower than petrol, and yet offers more mileage/liter. It is a no brainer why the masses have opted for the 2 liter turbo diesel engines. Contrary to popular belief, despite the cheaper car prices there, I didn't notice that many ///M cars on the road or even big engine capacity cars due to the exorbitant fuel prices.
Cheers

Mr President,
The present price gap between petrol and diesel is only 10 sen per litre (5.9%) which does not push many to switch. If the gap is at least 30 sen and maybe cheaper road tax incentive, then we are talking............

 

[etquah]

Astroboy, Tested the 320D Sports. No louder noise. Just like Petrol car.

Jerman, the road tax has been reduced. If am not mistaken, the 320d is RM484.50 about RM107 higher than petrol.

 

[David Yong]

Not much of noise during my test drive yesterday. You can only notice the noise from inside the cabin when it is stop idling (that is also hardly unless you really pay attention to it). Overall this (320d) is worth buying as compared to the normal 320i. You can really feel the power difference and I must say... a lot of difference.

 

[ALBundy]

Mr President,
The present price gap between petrol and diesel is only 10 sen per litre (5.9%) which does not push many to switch. If the gap is at least 30 sen and maybe cheaper road tax incentive, then we are talking............

I think it would be insane for anyone to trade in their 320i for a 320d, just to switch as we speak unless the 320i is more than 4-5 years, well at least for me.

It is the cost of ownership, not the difference in fuel prices between diesel and petrol (the 10 cents u mentioned, is almost irrelevant), as diesel easily gives you more than 30-40% improved fuel economy. So in monetary terms, the difference is easily more than 10cents per liter.

Is that a big eough incentive for one to trade/sell their car for a diesel? Well it depends on one's needs, but for those in the market for a new car then the diesel cars warrant serious attention.

 

[astroboy]

BMW 320d Sports – RM 255,800.00
BMW 520d Sports Edition – RM 379,800.00
BMW X3 xDrive20d Executive Edition – RM 333,800.00
BMW 730Ld – RM 698,800.00