Enter the greenest ever BMW

Aug 21 2009 David Whinyates

Enter the greenest ever BMW

IT ALL sounds too good to be true a prestige sports saloon which costs a mere £35 a year in road tax and which boasts the kind of fuel economy which would have done credit to a supermini just a few years ago.

Enter the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics saloon, the latest model in the German maker's eco-friendly range which BMW claims is the first premium segment car to boast CO2 emissions of less than 110g/km.

This puts this greenest-ever BMW in Vehicle Excise Duty band B - hence the £35 a year road tax - while a 13 per cent benefit-in-kind rating also ensures it makes maximum economical sense for company car drivers.

It will achieve almost 69mpg in mixed motoring, according to official figures, but at the same time the 1,995cc single turbocharged diesel engine engine is claimed to offer class-leading performance.

Acceleration from zero to 62mph takes 8.2 seconds and there's a top speed of 137mph.

The heightened performance has been made possible by changes to the engine construction, a longer rear axle transmission ratio, lowered suspension and the use of specially designed aerodynamic alloy wheels with Michelin EnergySaver tyres.

The new car comes fitted with the existing suite of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies which have featured on all four-cylinder BMW 3 Series models since September 2007.

These include Auto Start Stop, Brake Energy Regeneration and Electric Power Steering for optimum performance,

Due to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, the 320d EfficientDynamics Saloon will go on sale in January next year.

The specification of the car will be on a par with a BMW 320d SE and includes two-zone air-conditioning, rear Park Distance Control, BMW Professional radio and multi-function leather steering wheel. The price is likely to mirror the existing 'standard' BMW 320d SE Saloon, which currently costs £26,680.