BMW officially announces new 335d and X5 XDrive35d diesels

BMW just concluded a webcast press conference announcing details on the new 335d and X5 xDrive35d diesels that are going on sale shortly. These will be the first BMW diesels on the US market since the 524td of the mid-eighties. Like the new diesels from Mercedes-Benz and Audi and Volkswagen (apart from the Jetta), these will use a particulate filter and a urea injection system to clean up the soot and NOx emissions. The output numbers are unchanged from last January when the cars were first announced. The dual turbocharged 3.0L inline six cylinder is rated 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. Both vehicles are only available with an automatic transmission. When asked why, Tom Baloga VP Engineering explained that this engine isn't available with a manual transmission in Europe either because BMW hasn't developed a gearbox with sufficient torque capacity.

The urea tanks hold 5.5 gallons of fluid which should be enough to last about 15,000 miles. The urea will be replenished at the regular 10,000 mile service intervals which BMW provides free of charge (at least any additional charge on top of the price of the car) for the first four years or 50,000 miles. At the pump, the 335d will be rated at 23/36 mpg city/highway with a range of about 560 miles. The X5's 22 gallon tank should take it at least 585 miles on its 19/26 mpg ratings. The 335d will be priced at $44,725, less a $900 federal tax credit, while the X5 will consume $52,025 from your bank account. The feds will send back $1,550 to help pave the way. We'll be driving the 335d next week and we'll let you know what we think.

[Source: BMW]