Photo: BMW
The New York Auto Show will host several debuts for BMW next month, some on a global scale and some limited to the North American continent. The biggest one will be, of course, the world premiere of the new X4.
Alongside the new Sport Activity Coupe we’ll also be witnessing the North American debut of the 4 Series Gran Coupe, Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe, X3 LCI and X5 Concept eDrive.
Even if almost all of them were introduced this month at Geneva, since the US market is the second largest for BMW, their introduction across the pond means a lot, especially profit-wise.
The new Sports Activity Coupe, for example, will be sold on American grounds only in 2 variants and only as an automatic. The two models you can pick from are the xDrive28i and xDrive35i versions, both on petrol, despite BMW also having 3 diesel variants available from the get go.
As you probably guessed already, the xDrive28i has 245 HP and 350 Nm of torque coming out of the 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine under the bonnet while the xDrive35i has 306 HP and 400 Nm of torque at its disposal.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe is expected to be a big hit in the US, in a similar fashion as the 6 Series 4-door coupe was to his 2-door brother. The stylish car is set to compete against the A5 Sportback in every other market except the US, where the Stuttgart car is only available as a 2-door coupe.
At first, there will be only two models available, using the same engines as the X4. We’re talking, of course, about the 428i and 435i versions, the former also available with the xDrive AWD system. Prices start at $41,225.
Alpina’s B6 xDrive Gran Coupe is definitely the most exciting one out of the line up, rivaling the M6 Gran Coupe in specs and price, of course. Unlike the Bimmer, the Alpina model doesn’t use an M S63Tu engine but a revamped N63 unit.
The 4.4-liter biturbo V8 was taken from 450 HP and 650 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque up to 540 HP and 540 lb-ft (732 Nm) of torque turning it into a proper 4-door monster. Sending the power to all four wheels, through the xDrive system, the B6 is dangerously close in performance to the M6 that is restricted to RWD.
60 mph comes up in just 3.7 seconds even though it uses a simple 8-speed ZF gearbox (that was modified slightly, of course, no less than 0.3 seconds faster than a proper M6. The top speed is a mind blowing 198 mph (318 km/h).
Of course, you get all the usual Alpina luxury inside, from the new instrument cluster to the top of the line leather and all around aero kit for the exterior. Prices will start at $118,225 in the US.
The X5 eDrive Concept will also be traveling across the Atlantic with the rest of the crew to prove to Americans that SUVs can be eco friendly. By now, it’s no secret that this kind of vehicle is most popular in the US, gas prices and wide streets making it feel at home.
BMW, on the other hand, wants to show people that they can enjoy luxury and save the planet at the same time. With the eDrive Concept model they created a hybrid SUV that can return 74.3 mpg with less than 90 grams of CO2 per km. The car can even go full electric for up to 19 miles and at speeds as high as 75 mph. Not bad for a two ton car and a 95 HP electric motor.
All these and much more can be viewed in New York, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on 655 West 34th Street in Manhattan, starting April 16.
Even if almost all of them were introduced this month at Geneva, since the US market is the second largest for BMW, their introduction across the pond means a lot, especially profit-wise.
The new Sports Activity Coupe, for example, will be sold on American grounds only in 2 variants and only as an automatic. The two models you can pick from are the xDrive28i and xDrive35i versions, both on petrol, despite BMW also having 3 diesel variants available from the get go.
As you probably guessed already, the xDrive28i has 245 HP and 350 Nm of torque coming out of the 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine under the bonnet while the xDrive35i has 306 HP and 400 Nm of torque at its disposal.
The 4 Series Gran Coupe is expected to be a big hit in the US, in a similar fashion as the 6 Series 4-door coupe was to his 2-door brother. The stylish car is set to compete against the A5 Sportback in every other market except the US, where the Stuttgart car is only available as a 2-door coupe.
At first, there will be only two models available, using the same engines as the X4. We’re talking, of course, about the 428i and 435i versions, the former also available with the xDrive AWD system. Prices start at $41,225.
Alpina’s B6 xDrive Gran Coupe is definitely the most exciting one out of the line up, rivaling the M6 Gran Coupe in specs and price, of course. Unlike the Bimmer, the Alpina model doesn’t use an M S63Tu engine but a revamped N63 unit.
The 4.4-liter biturbo V8 was taken from 450 HP and 650 Nm (480 lb-ft) of torque up to 540 HP and 540 lb-ft (732 Nm) of torque turning it into a proper 4-door monster. Sending the power to all four wheels, through the xDrive system, the B6 is dangerously close in performance to the M6 that is restricted to RWD.
60 mph comes up in just 3.7 seconds even though it uses a simple 8-speed ZF gearbox (that was modified slightly, of course, no less than 0.3 seconds faster than a proper M6. The top speed is a mind blowing 198 mph (318 km/h).
Of course, you get all the usual Alpina luxury inside, from the new instrument cluster to the top of the line leather and all around aero kit for the exterior. Prices will start at $118,225 in the US.
The X5 eDrive Concept will also be traveling across the Atlantic with the rest of the crew to prove to Americans that SUVs can be eco friendly. By now, it’s no secret that this kind of vehicle is most popular in the US, gas prices and wide streets making it feel at home.
BMW, on the other hand, wants to show people that they can enjoy luxury and save the planet at the same time. With the eDrive Concept model they created a hybrid SUV that can return 74.3 mpg with less than 90 grams of CO2 per km. The car can even go full electric for up to 19 miles and at speeds as high as 75 mph. Not bad for a two ton car and a 95 HP electric motor.
All these and much more can be viewed in New York, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on 655 West 34th Street in Manhattan, starting April 16.
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