EARLIER this week I went along to the MINI Oxford plant – the one that has just been awarded a further £500m investment by its parent company, BMW Group, thanks to the outstanding quality of its workmanship.
I was there as a guest of Steve Chater, corporate operations manager at BMW and the rest of the BMW corporate team, to learn about forthcoming product and more about BMW i, the new sustainable sub-brand.
I’ve been to one of these BMW events before: it’s a bit like speed dating – without the girls. Instead, you’re given a compressed half-day overview of new products and technology. It’s very good, and the BMW corporate team does it very well.
We had the chance to see the new BMW 1 Series range, the compact model that goes up against the Audi A3 Sportback. The new 1 Series looks impressive – much better than the current car. The proportions are better and it looks much more grown up.
“The BMW 1 Series is the second biggest seller after the 3 Series,” Steve explained. With a new EfficientDynamics model – see news story New BMW 1 Series hits 99g/km – it looks likely to become more important.
One feature I did like on the new 1 Series was the new ECO PRO mode. This is activated using the standard Drive Performance Control that adjusts various on-board systems to maximise efficiency. When in ECO PRO mode the throttle response is adjusted to encourage a more economical driving style. The extra economy created in ECO PRO mode is fed back to the driver, with the in-car displays showing the additional number of miles achieved.
“ECO PRO encourages drivers with smoother driving,” continued Steve. “The onboard efficiency guide visualises how much you have gained by using the efficiency mode. It rewards you for driving efficiently.” It seems a good idea. I like the fact that it virtually visualises the amount of money you have saved – by showing you how many more miles you have travelled by using ECO PRO. It’s better than the rather fey idea of trying to create petals on a plant, which is what Honda’s hybrids serve up.
Also unveiled was the new MINI Coupe. It’s, err – challenging. I personally think it looks plain awkward. I saw the concept model unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show two years ago and didn’t like it then. Nothing much has changed. Mind you, driving it should be a hoot. It’s going to get full John Cooper Works treatment.
Interestingly, I stood back and watched the reactions of the other guests. The blokes went to the boot to see if it really could get the two proper sized suitcases in the boot (and they weren’t those suitcases-specially-made-to-fit-the-space we’ve seen before). Meanwhile, the girls headed for the cockpit.
As an Audi TT alternative, I think it will do really well with female small business owners or SME directors.
Whatever I think.
New BMW 1 Series and MINI Coupe
