WardsAuto reports that BMW will reveal the U.S.-bound diesel-powered X5 xDrive 35d cross/utility vehicle and 335d coupe at the upcoming (TTAC-attended,) North American International Auto Show. The big news here is that Bimmer's boffins have designed a urea-injection exhaust treatment to capture those nasty particulates before they can weld themselves onto the inner surface of your lungs. In other words, BMW's "BluePerformance" technology meets California's way-tougher-than-European-Union-regs diesel engine emissions requirements. Yada yada yada. Here are the stats oil burner aspiring pistonheads want to know. The 3.0-liter inline six cylinder. twin-turbo diesel engine develops 265 hp and, get this, 425 lb.-ft. of torque. That's enough to sling the big ass X5 xDrive 35d from 0-62 mph in 7.2 seconds, and power the 335d from 0-62 mph in a respectable 6.2 seconds. Of course, the sprint time doesn't reflect the ENORMOUS in-gear shove. Perhaps more saliently, the diesel X5 gets 19/25 mpg, while the 335d clocks in at 23/33 mpg. Do you have to pee in the urea tank? And is this the long anticipated re-start of America's oil burning aspirations? That depends on the price. Hey, there's got to be some surprises left for the show.
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Now that BMW has given you dieselheads the very thing you desire, let’s see how many actually step up to the plate and buy one.
I can’t wait to pee in my 335xid touring!
Personally, I don’t see the big attraction with diesels. Let’s see how attractive these BMW SUV’s are when you start them up! People down your street will all be saying the same thing:
“Did they buy a tractor?!”
As far as I can see, hybrid technology is the more viable future. I’m not saying diesels don’t have a place in the market, but I wouldn’t choose one. Now a diesel hybrid, that would be interesting……..
Personally, I don’t see the big attraction with diesels. Let’s see how attractive these BMW SUV’s are when you start them up! People down your street will all be saying the same thing:
“Did they buy a tractor?!”
That’s the very reason I look forward to the availability of a Subaru diesel. Proper Subarus should sound like they’re born from jets tractors – well, even more than they already do. In the luxury market I’d want my diesel to have ultraconservative styling that I could potentially live with until my baby is eligible for an antique license plate (like the Mercs of yore). BMW isn’t offering timeless styling anymore. BMW builds lease candy better suited for their wonderful and more familiar (to us) mills. Absent the same economic forces that make diesels popular in Europe, I can’t see BMW selling many of these over here.
I was thinking about what my next car might be and a diesel Bimmer could be it, if it was thrifty enough with fuel. This (335d) isn’t. We’re reasonably well off and I’d like my next car to be somewhat luxurious. Nobody seems to think that people buying a luxury car want really good fuel economy. What I have in mind would be a “Prius” from Lexus, or an “ES-350h” (ES-350-like vehicle with hybrid Camry powertrain; 2.4L Atkinson cycle engine and HSD) or maybe a diesel Acura.
Maybe very few luxury car buyers would want that sort of fuel economy. But perhaps enough care about carbon footprint to buy such things.
I’m also curious to see how much urea is needed per gallon of diesel and how much it will cost. That figures into one’s “fuel” costs. Not a big deal for BMW owners but significant if this diesel technology starts moving into more economical cars.
Yay, more dumb jokes about peeing in the urea tank!
I think BMW will do well with these vehicles in NA, especially the 335d. There are a lot of people that have been waiting for a BMW diesel sedan to re-appear since the last one was sold in the mid 80s. Add of course, those 23/33 estimates will likely differ from real world economy. I’d expect closer to 40 MPG on the highway, if the driver can manage to drive sanely.
HOLY CRAP!
Can you imagine what’s going to happen when tuners modify the ECU/injectors on these bad boys?
If they’re getting 400 hp and low 12.4 second 1/4 mile run @ 117 mph from a chip/exhaust ($2000) combo out of the 300 hp 335i – imagine the gains (especially in torque) from this car – rotate the earth under its wheels type of thrust, with 30 mpg to boot.
I pity the drivetrain.
My prediction: X5 diesel will sell, but the 335d won’t.
In Europe maximum that chip makers have gained with the 3.0 twinturbo diesel is ca 330hp and 500lbft. Crazy numbers! :) Put it in a 3-series body and your diesel sedan leaves most of the 80’s supercars behind at highway speeds.
BUT when you got low torqing/high revving 335i at 400hp and 450lbft with a chip then the broader powerband and a sporty nature of the gasoline twinturbo is more at home in a good handling sporty 3-series sedan/coupe.
With X3/X5 I would definitely choose the diesel.
BUT as with the hybrids diesels also need to be driven very softly/calmly to achieve the factory numbers. When you got boost you got lower mpg :)
Automotive jouralists never mention that driving style(No1 factor!!!), air temperature, road surface quality etc. all hugely affect mpg numbers. This so called “real world consumption” thing is total nonsense without going thoroughly into the aspects I mentioned.
German Autobild test, figures in l/100km:
BMW 118d Diesel
Rated 4.5
Test 6.2 = +38%
Ford C-Max Diesel 109HP
Rated 4.9
Test 6.7 = +37%
Toyota Prius 78HP
Rated 4.3
Test 6.0 = +39.5%
Lexus RX400h Hybrid 211HP
Rated 8.1
Test 12.0 = +48%
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/news-blog/eu-mpg-stats-off-by-53/
guyincognito‘s 335xid touring is exactly what I’m hoping for, too, since Subaru’s wagon offerings have all gone stupid. The only slim hope I have is the automatics won’t be able to sustain a diesel’s torque, requiring Subaru to put the manual back in. Then we will have something to talk about, Subaru. It would be kind of nice to have a Subaru diesel to park next to my Kubota tractor; the BMW might feel slighted.
3.0 TT diesel is only offered with automatic transmission with all BMW models.
PS! This is a really smart move by BMW to introduce only the top-spec diesel to the U.S. market in the beginning. Because Audi and MB have significantly lower hp and slightly lower torque numbers form their diesel engines with similar displacement. This move makes BMW automatically the diesel technology leader in the U.S.
Being a huge fan of diesels, I’m happy to see other manufacturers sending them over to the US. Problem is, BMW is perceived as a “performance” manufacturer, and Americans still do not equate performance with diesels. Real-world applications need to filter in (not $35k+ pseudo luxury cars) before diesels have any chance of taking hold back in the US again. And while the neighbor’s Dodge Ram with Cummins diesel may sound like a slightly detuned school bus, the Audi A4 I drove in Germany last week most certainly did not, and with decent driving habits, I returned excellent fuel economy numbers. But wait, it was a six-speed…I forgot, the great majority of Americans wouldn’t drive a manual tranny to save their lives. Again, that’s a shame. The pull of the diesel is quite entertaining, and I now find myself thinking seriously of finding a used Jetta wagon diesel when I give my son my 1997 Toyota Tercel. If Honda/Nissan/Toyota trotted out diesels in their bread and butter cars, perhaps (just perhaps) diesels would find a home here in the States…
Ummmm…..425 lb ft AND 33 mpg?!
It’s gonna sell. Final answer.
Everone is ignoring the price though. Most diesel truck engines add $7K additional to the price. I really have no need for a 60K 335.
KixStart,
BMW has developed a two-tank AdBlue system for convenient use. The amount of AdBlue required in each case is injected from the active tank (approximately 1.6 gallons in volume) by means of a dosage pump. Since the urea solution would freeze at a temperature of 12.2°F, this active tank, as well as the dosage pipes, are heated.
The active tank is connected to a second reservoir, referred to as the passive tank. With its additional capacity of approximately 4.5 gallons, this passive tank offers a plentiful supply of the urea solution. The average range provided with this supply capacity is sufficient to have the tank system replenished only when the driver needs to change the engine oil.
Since all BMWs sold in the US operate under the BMW Maintenance Program, the refilling of the AdBlue tanks will be a no-charge service for 4 years or 50,000 miles
No mention on urea cost after this period.
The gas powered 3 series cars get remarkable fuel economy given their sporting nature, so I think there will be limited migration of these owners to the diesel version. However, the X5 (and all the other Xs soon to appear) will benefit tremendously from the diesel option and I believe that, after a period of “acclimation”, at least 50% of X-# buyers will opt for the diesel.
Personally, I don’t see the big attraction with diesels. Let’s see how attractive these BMW SUV’s are when you start them up! People down your street will all be saying the same thing:
“Did they buy a tractor?!”
Unfortunately, this attitude is what the would-be diesel sellers are up against. But it’s a very out-dated attitude about diesels. Katie, go to Europe and drive around for a week in a rental like an Audi A4 4-cylinder TD and you will become a true believer in the worth of diesels: 40 MPG, great torque and overall performance, and an engine sound that the vast majority of Americans could not distinguish from a comparable gasoline- engine A4.
Hi, thought that I would add a bit of real world to this discussion. I have just bought the X5 3.0 twin turbo diesel, here in Australia it is called a 3.0sd. It is priced mid way between the 3.0 gas and the V8. The majority of X5s (>70%) here are diesels and Australians have a love affair with V8 gas engines. However it is the torque and fuel economy that are driving diesel sales here. I get around 23 mpg out of the X5 with less than 2000 miles on the clock, so it is still very tight. There is absolutely no turbo lag and just a wonderful linear hard shove that doesn’t end till you get to the 4750 redline and then it smoothly changes top the next gear. Point to point the diesel would probably beat the V8 purely because of the amount of torque available at any revs. The v8 may beat it to 60mph, but rolling acceleration the diesel will certainly keep pace if not neat it.
So I hope that you get to sample one soon and those that don’t are really missing out.