| Concept car world debut | 2008 Geneva Motor Show | BMW Vision EfficientDynamics |
BMW is going to great efforts to stress its green credentials at the
Geneva motor show and leading the charge is the Vision concept SUV. Based on
the X5, the Vision is a hybrid that uses a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and an electric motor.
The electric motor/generator recoups energy that would otherwise be lost during braking and stores it in batteries. There are also solar panels on the roof of the Vision to help pre-heat the twin-turbocharged diesel engine so that it's at optimum working temperature quicker.
The Vision may be a clean machine, with 43.5mpg and 172g/km carbon dioxide emissions, but it still does 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds. It's helped by a new eight-speed automatic gearbox that drives all four wheels.
BMW has cleaned up the aerodynamics of the X5 for the Vision to reduce wind resistance. This includes a new alloy wheel design with spokes that cause less wind drag.
BMW says much of the technology seen on the Vision is not far away for production models, though it may be a couple of years before we can buy a car with solar panels on the roof.
Alisdair Suttie - 5 Mar 2008