BMW's M550d xDrive sedan. Image: BMW Group
After months of rumor and speculation, BMW has finally confirmed what most of us already knew. The Munich-based automaker is building not one, but a full range of M-badged diesel vehicles, including a sedan, a wagon, an SUV and a crossover. The models will make their debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show, and will go on sale in Germany shortly thereafter.
BMW's M550d xDrive Touring. Image: BMW Group
It’s likely that they’ll be sold throughout the E.U., but Motor Authority is reporting that U.S. customers are out of luck. Perhaps it’s a question of price and volume, based on the myth that Americans don’t buy diesels. More likely, however, is the issue of emissions compliance, since (until 2014) the EU has less stringent standards for passenger car diesel emissions than we do.
BMW's X5 M50d. Image: BMW Group
Whatever the reason, we’re missing out on some choice rides. The M550d xDrive sedan will usher you from 0 – 62 mph in just 4.7 seconds, while delivering an average fuel economy of 37 miles per gallon (in European cycle testing, anyway). If wagons are your thing, the M550 xDrive Touring will run from 0 – 62 mph in 4.9 seconds, returning an average of 36.7 mpg. If you want an SUV with a dash of schnell, the X5 M50d will take 5.4 seconds to get you to 62 mph, yet still return 31.4 mpg. Finally, the X6 M50d crossover will go from 0 -62 mph in 5.3 seconds, but sucks down the most fuel, delivering a still-impressive 30.5 mpg average.
BMW's X6 M50d. Image: BMW Group
All four get a new inline-six engine with BMW’s TwinPower Turbo technology (which actually uses three turbos), producing 381 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque. Ensuring that the power goes to the ground (instead of up in tire smoke), all four utilize all-wheel-drive and all get an eight-speed automatic transmission. A manual gearbox, as far as we can tell, isn’t an available option.
Don’t expect these to make it stateside in 2012 or 2013, but we’ve got our fingers crossed that we’ll see one or two models in 2014, after the U.S. and E.U. emission standards reach parity.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
