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Filed under: Etc., Crossover, BMW, Land Rover, Luxury
The turn of the year didn't merely lead us into the Year of the Dragon, but also the year of the
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. Halewood's small softroader won a boodle of awards:
Autoweek's
Best of the Best,
Top Gear magazine's
and Jeremy Clarkson's choice for
Car of the Year,
Motor Trend magazine's
SUV of the Year and the
North American Truck of the Year. For starters.
Consumer Reports, however, isn't as swayed, saying that the new
BMW X3 "handily outpointed its European rival" in a head-to-head between the two compact luxury crossovers.
We expect there's an Evoque out there with a sore backside because
CR did not spare the rod, saying the Evoque scored near the bottom of its category because of "a cramped cabin, stiff ride, artificial-feeling steering and troubling emergency handling." On top of that, its "rear view is poor," its "cargo area is small" and its interior is "noisy" albeit "well finished," and was outdone by the X3's "lavish interior." The baby
Land Rover finished so far in the hole that
CR couldn't give the vehicle its coveted Recommend rating.
That seems a bit harsh at first glance, especially since comparing interior measurements between the two seems disingenuous when the BMW is so much larger that it's basically in another class. That said, we haven't read the full piece yet, so we'll withhold further commentary. For CR's press release on the Evoque vs. X3 cage match and its comments on the
Toyota Prius V,
Volkswagen Tiguan and
Jeep Wrangler, look no further than
after the jump.
Continue reading Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque
Bucking trend, Consumer Reports gives nod to BMW X3 over Land Rover Evoque originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 26th, 2012
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Filed under: SUV, Plants/Manufacturing, BMW, Luxury
BMW is expanding its operations in
Spartanburg, South Carolina. The company has announced it will invest $990 million into the facility over the next three years to allow the plant to produce up to 350,000 vehicles annually. Currently, the Spartanburg assembly plant produces the
BMW X3 (pictured),
X5 and
X6, and BMW says the company expects to see an increase in CUV demand in the coming years. BMW has already committed to broadening its presence in the crossover market with the introduction of the upcoming
X4 model.
The BMW X3 helped BMW grow to become the best-selling luxury brand in the United States for the first time in the company's history last year. The model saw a 156 percent increase in global sales to a total of 117,944 units, and 27,793 of those found homes in the States.
Right now, 70 percent of the vehicles built in Spartanburg are exported to other markets around the world. Last year, the facility built 276,065 vehicles, which marks an increase of 73 percent over 2010. The plant originally opened in 1994, and the German automaker is currently celebrating the 2 millionth vehicle produced since then.
Hit the jump for the full press release.
Continue reading BMW pouring $990M into Spartanburg plant to build more CUVs
BMW pouring $990M into Spartanburg plant to build more CUVs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 12th, 2012
Filed under: SUV, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, BMW, Cadillac, GM, Luxury
Cadillac is gunning for
BMW. The company's recently unveiled
ATS is a clear shot across the bow of the German automaker's
3 Series, and
Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports the small sedan may be the first of a larger product offensive. Kurt McNeil, vice president of sales with
Cadillac, said the luxury brand is currently looking into the possibility of a small CUV designed to lure in
BMW X3 buyers. The vehicle would be smaller than the current
Cadillac SRX, which saw an 11 percent increase in sales last year.
The report makes it clear that
General Motors hasn't given the go-ahead on the smaller crossover, though the fact that Cadillac is growing its presence globally will likely factor heavily in the final decision on whether or not to bring the vehicle to market. American buyers are always happy to welcome another tall-riding five-door into the fold, but CUVs don't enjoy the same level of prestige in European markets.
Cadillac considering smaller-than-SRX crossover? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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January 12th, 2012
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Back in October I called the North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) award — an annual prize presented at the
Detroit Auto Show and determined by
a 50-person jury littered with
jurors relevant only for being a juror — a joke for
the laughingly obscene choice of the Mini Countryman as a nominee for "Truck of the Year." Last week, the three finalists for both "Truck of the Year" and "Car of the Year" were announced. And guess what? Despite the Mini Countryman not making the final cut — the award's still a complete joke. Here's why.
More »
December 20th, 2011
Filed under: Car Buying, Performance, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
BMW is apparently the Ultimate Selling Machine. The German automaker has retained the title of top luxury brand after its most successful July in history, moving 108,721 units for the month. Overall sales are up 17.9 percent for the entire BMW Group through the first seven months of the year.
One of the BMW products moving off lots quickly is the redesigned
X3. Sales of the compact crossover rose 193.2 percent, which equates to 9,763 units finding a new home in July. The
X5 also helped total volume numbers by improving 51.7 percent in July, with 24,196 examples sold.
With 106,000 total sales in July,
Audi isn't very far behind, and it hopes to stand in the top spot ahead of BMW by 2015. BMW is aiming for 1.6 million in sales this year, while Audi is shooting for 1.2 million.
Mercedes-Benz came in at number three with 100,391 units sold in July.
BMW leads global sales race among luxury brands through July, Audi second originally appeared on Autoblog 5.0 on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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August 8th, 2011
Filed under: Aftermarket, Videos, Crossover, BMW
AC Schnitzer BMW X3 - Click above for high-res image gallery.
If you're one of the tens of people eagerly awaiting the arrival of the
BMW X3 M, there may be an alternative that's ready to go right away.
AC Schnitzer has gotten hold of the
X3 and applied its custom touches to the compact crossover. A body kit, wheels, rear spoiler and custom exhaust help the up-fitted fat wagon stand out in the crossover sea of similarity. AC Schnitzer's engine gurus have also bumped power from 184 horsepower up to 218. That's for the 20d, and an upgrade for the 30d is also in the works.
AC Schnitzer has taken an extra step with this particular X3. Rather than wait for a spoiled teenager to pilot the front end into tree, AC Schnitzer has subjected the car to a series of "crash tests."
Click past the jump to watch a cylindrical projectile repeatedly fired at the nose of this X3, and turn up the speakers to enjoy some
How It's Made-grade background music.
Continue reading AC Schnitzer's take on 2012 BMW X3 includes amusing 'crash test' [w/video]
AC Schnitzer's take on 2012 BMW X3 includes amusing 'crash test' [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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June 30th, 2011
