WINTER NEWS IN BRIEF UPDATE FROM BMW.

• Top Gear names BMW i4 ‘Saloon of the Year’
• Expansion of seven new UK eDrive Zones
• BMW named ‘Most Reliable Carmarker’ at Fleet News FN50 for seventh consecutive year
• Success for BMW 745Le at Professional Driver Magazine’s Car of the Year awards
• 4 Series Coupé victorious at Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2021.


As 2021 draws to a close, BMW is ending the year with a further set of awards for products across the range, including the BMW i4, BMW 4 Series Coupé, BMW 745Le and BMW 3 Series. It also took home ‘Most Reliable Brand’ at the 2021 Fleet News FN50, celebrating the brand’s success in the corporate sector.


Top Gear crowns BMW i4 ‘Saloon of the Year’.

The first fully-electric Gran Coupé from BMW – the BMW i4 – has been crowned Saloon of the Year by Top Gear.

Editor Jack Rix commented "We love the i4 because it could be any other well-specced BMW. The way the furniture’s arranged around you, the way it steers and drives. It’s low-slung and sporty and there’s just a certain rightness and cohesion to it. Even if the all-drive chassis doesn’t exactly play for laughs, it’s more fluent than the Tesla or Polestar equivalents”.

The striking gran coupé introduces all-electric mobility to the heart of the BMW brand, combining next-level performance with modern comforts to deliver a truly outstanding driving experience. Equipped with fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology, the BMW i4 delivers up to 544hp and offers up to 367 miles in range (WLTP).


Expansion of seven new UK eDrive Zones.

Adding to its success, a further seven eDrive Zones have been rolled out in the UK, taking the total number of eDrive Zones across Europe to 138.

Aberdeen, Bristol, Cambridge, Cardiff, Coventry, Oxford and Sheffield have all been added, joining the long list of zones already established in the UK. BMW eDrive Zones automates the process of switching to electric-only power when a BMW plug-in hybrid vehicle enters a defined area of these cities. The service, unique in the worldwide automotive industry, also automatically ensures that the electric power is conserved for use during the part of the journey within the low emission zone, if the journey destination is entered into the vehicle’s navigation system.

This new technology ensures BMW plug-in hybrid models offer consumers the best of both worlds: electric-only driving in the city, where it makes the most difference and a highly efficient internal combustion engine to cover long distances.

For BMW plug-in hybrid owners, the expansion of these areas allow drivers to earn additional BMW Points – a programme launched earlier this year to reward drivers for driving electrically. Drivers earn 2 points for each mile driven electrically and 4 points for each mile driven electrically in a designated eDrive zone, with drivers rewarded with free charging to be used across the BMW Charging network.


BMW named ‘Most Reliable Carmaker’ at Fleet News FN50 for seventh consecutive year.

BMW took home two awards at the 2021 Fleet News FN50, including ‘Most Reliable Car’ for the BMW 3 Series and the highly coveted ‘Most Reliable Carmarker’.

The Fleet News FN50 is conducted annually and offers analysis and insight into the UK’s contract hire and leasing industry. Alongside the top 50 countdown, Fleet News reward outstanding achievements within the sector, including Customer Service, Wellbeing and Vehicle Reliability.

Editor in Chief Stephen Briers commented; “BMW has been voted the most reliable car manufacturer in the UK by FN50 leasing companies for an incredible seventh consecutive time, backing up its similar success in the fleet-voted Fleet News manufacturer of the year award.

It’s no surprise as the 3 Series was named the UK’s most reliable car and the 5 Series also sits inside the top 10, in sixth place. Both models have seen significant enhancements in recent years elevating their reliability. In a clean sweep at this year’s FN50, BMW was also named the best car dealer network, making it an ideal partner for UK business.”


Success for BMW 745Le at Professional Driver Magazine’s Car of the Year awards

Britain’s professional drivers have voted the plug-in hybrid BMW 745Le as 2021’s best chauffeur car.

Professional Driver Editor Mark Bursa said: “Chauffeurs are still waiting for truly effective electric cars, so plug-in hybrids are still the only real option for those looking for a cleaner option than diesel. This is always a close contest, but this year we had a clear winner. Spacious, good-looking and incredibly smooth, the BMW 745Le is our Chauffeur Car of the Year for 2021.”

The Professional Driver Car of the Year Awards, now in their 12th year, are among the most rigorous in the automotive industry. Every shortlisted car is delivered to our venue for evaluation by more than 100 judges, comprising invited heads of leading chauffeur and private hire firms, experienced chauffeurs, as well as carefully chosen motoring editors and journalists.


4 Series Coupé victorious at Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2021.

The BMW 4 Series Coupé has been crowned Executive Car of the Year at the 2021 Scottish Car of the Year Awards. Voted for by members of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW), the 4 Series Coupé finished at the top of its category after the judges compared notes and awarded the best models they have driven in 2021.

Launched in October 2020, the BMW 4 Series delivers both stunning performance and supreme handling capabilities, but with a sleek and distinctive new exterior design, high quality interior, upgraded driver assistance technologies and even greater efficiencies from the introduction of the mild-hybrid technology.

Ends

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was €5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

www.bmwgroup.com

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For further information please contact:

Helen Wilson
Senior Press Officer, BMW & MINI Communications
Tel: 07815 372 480
Email: Helen.Wilson@bmw.co.uk

Chris Overall
BMW Media Relations Manager
Tel: 07815 370 990
Email: Chris.Overall@bmw.co.uk

Emma Begley
General Manager, Communications
Tel: 07815 371 062
Email: Emma.Begley@bmw.co.uk

Graham Biggs
Corporate Communications Director
Tel: 07815 376 867
Email: Graham.Biggs@bmw.co.uk