"Detroit Auto Show: BMW Says Mild-Hybrid 7-Series, Dual-Mode X6 OnTap For U.S." Green Car Advisor

Detroit Auto Show: BMW Says Mild-Hybrid 7-Series, Dual-Mode X6 OnTap For U.S.

Okay, maybe the last thing the world needs more big-bucks hybrids (Lexus so far hasn't burned up the sales charts with its attempts), but BMW has said it "probably" will have hybrid versions of both the X6 and the 7-Series on sale in the U.S. sometime later this year.

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BMW's 7-Series hybrid concept is introduced in Detroit by Klaus Draeger, the automakers' chief of development.

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BMW used the Detroit auto show to unveil the Concept 7-Series Active-Hybrid, a mild-hybrid job that combines a 20-horsepower electric motor with the car's conventional twin-turbocharged V-8 to "significantly reduce both fuel consumption and emissions," said BMW board member Dr. Klaus Draeger.

There's also a lithium-ion battery pack and a regenerative braking system in what is sure to be a package with a stratospheric price in line with Lexus' slow-moving LS600 h hybrid.

The company also reminded that the Concept X6 Active-Hybrid is still around - it finally is bringing to market the two-mode hybrid transmission technology co-developed with General Motors and Daimler.

The pricey two-mode hybrid transmission is particularly well-suited to crossover-type utility vehicles, said BMW, and will enable the X6 hybrid to use "about 20 percent less fuel than a comparable vehicle."

"We are certain both hybrid concepts will be particularly attractive for the U.S. customer," said Robertson. "Together with our diesel models, we are able to offer the U.S. customers a variety of solutions to suit different needs and tastes."

"Both hybrid models will be ready for series production in 2009," said Robertson. "That means they will probably be available to our customers from the end of the year."

That "probably" leaves something to think about, however.

The European automakers still display a certain distaste for hybrid technology, preferring to promote diesel. Both of BMW's development partners with the two-mode system, for example, have had production models on sale for some time - GM with its Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade SUVs and former Daimler division Dodge with its now-discontinued Durango and Aspen hybrids.

So, with the economy in a tank and luxury car sales falling along with everything else, we'll take a wait-and-see approach to this latest hybrid news from Bimmer.

Bill Visnic, Senior Editor, Auto Observer