New Arrivals

China Daily | Updated: 2016-03-28 07:56

BMW designs for Chinese families

The BMW 2 Series Tourer, the German automaker's first premium compact Sport Activity Tourer and its fourth locally produced model, was released on the Chinese market on March 21.

Targeting the modern Chinese family, the BMW 2 Series Tourer has five variants available with prices from 236,900 yuan ($36,365) to 331,900 yuan.

Anton Heiss, president and CEO of BMW Brilliance, said: "The first-ever BMW 2 Series Tourer marks a significant milestone of BMW Group's commitment to China. This car precisely captures the new consumer trend in China. This car comes with an innovative concept, combining BMW's signature driving pleasure and versatility, and how customer-oriented BMW is."

The model is equipped with the new BMW three-cylinder and four-cylinder TwinPower Turbo engines. The panoramic moon roof is a standard configuration, and the largest of all BMW models.

The PM2.5 high efficient particulate filter is also standard configuration. In accordance with Chinese traffic situations and customer demand, the 2 Series Tourer adds more functions including comfort access, auto tailgate and park assistance.

The rear seats have been upgraded to enhance comfort, with 6 millimeters of added wadding under the upholstery, adjustment and optimization over the car suspension for improved driving comfort, and upgrades of brake pads to reduce brake noise. The navigation system comes with an 8.8-inch display screen and an iDrive touch screen.

BMW believes that the global automobile market is downsizing to smaller compact models for better cost-effectiveness and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Chinese customers are diverse, especially among the post '85 and '90 generations, who have become the mainstream consumer group and focus on brand and quality, BMW said.

The 2 Series Tourer is the automaker's response to this market demand, providing a localized car with step-up improvements and upgrades to align with the daily habits and lifestyles of Chinese customers. This year is the BMW Group's centenary year, and the carmaker considers the launch of this fourth localized product a marker of its localization process and commitment in China.

Accord facelift frees drivers of worry

Guangqi Honda launched a facelift of its flagship new Accord last week in the carmaker's home city of Guangzhou, with upgrades in the powertrain, infotainment system, lighting and more.

The full-size sedan is powered by a lineup of Earth Dreams Technology, with 2- or 2.4-liter engine options, and realizes both dynamic performance and driving pleasure. The naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine increases fuel economy by 9 percent. A newly developed advanced continuously variable transmission is used to realize more linear acceleration and a smoother driving experience.

For safety, Guangqi Honda engineers have been advancing the concept of enabling drivers to drive with greater peace of mind, according to the company.

The new Accord is equipped with advanced driver-assist system Honda Sensing, supporting safe driving from all directions. A monocular camera and radar sensitively detect objects mostly in the front of the vehicle, and help the driver gain a good understanding of road conditions. To support safe driving, various functions come with the vehicle, including adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, a collision mitigation braking system and traffic sign recognition and lane watch enabled by a side camera.

Apple Car Play support is added to the intelligent system with a 7.5-inch touch screen, below the 7.7-inch information display, to enable customers' constant and interactive engagement with the world.

The remote control key enables the driver to turn on the engine and air conditioning outside of the car and helps adjust the temperature to a comfortable level before getting into the vehicle.