BMW has performed extremely well once again in the latest readers’ polls conducted by German magazines “CHIP†and “auto, motor und sport†with a series of top placings in six awards. The infotainment and connectivity technology available in current BMW models earned the brand victory in four out of the eleven categories in the 2017 Car Connectivity Award jointly organised by the two magazines. These included the title of Connected Car of the Year for the new BMW 5 Series. As well as seamless connectivity, design is also a crucial factor in the popularity of new models. Victory for the BMW 2 Series Coupe and the BMW 4 Series Coupe/BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe in the 2017 Autonis design contest run by “auto, motor und sport†is further evidence of just how much the sporting elegance that characterises the brand’s latest models appeals to the public.
Connected with the digital world: four top spots in the Car Connectivity Award.
The new BMW 5 Series came out top in the Connected Car category of the 2017 Car Connectivity Award after scooping 35.4 per cent of the votes. The addition of new features to the extensive existing portfolio of BMW Connected and BMW ConnectedDrive services sees the sedan set new benchmarks for connectivity. Innovations such as the digital parking space search service On-Street Parking Information, the Remote 3D View function and hazard warnings using car-to-car communication were all introduced in the new 5 Series.
Infotainment and connectivity technologies from BMW picked up three more of the titles included in the fourth edition of the Car Connectivity Award. The readers of “CHIP†and “auto, motor und sport†identified the BMW Navigation system Professional (40.9 per cent of the votes) as their favourite. The system makes a winning impression with its intuitive operation, accurate map display and fast, reliable route guidance. The latest generation of the Navigation system Professional offers faster start-up, even quicker route calculation and more realistic 3D graphics in urban areas. The navigation system is adaptive, too, meaning that if the driver keeps diverting from a suggested route, the system will start to propose the new route as the default choice to the destination in question.
The list of options available in conjunction with the Navigation system Professional includes the WiFi hotspot, which offers a high-speed internet connection for up to ten mobile devices. This optional feature won the Entertainment/Multimedia category, with 28.0 per cent of the votes. Finally, a BMW system also prevailed in the Control Concepts/Displays category. The Control Display with touchscreen capability – which further enhances the iDrive operating system’s supremely intuitive, convenient and secure functionality – got the thumbs up from 23.7 per cent of readers.
2017 Autonis readers’ poll: double honours for sporting elegance.
BMW also excelled in the readers’ poll to find the most attractive new automotive designs, with wins in two classes. This was the 17th time that “auto, motor und sport†had staged this automotive beauty contest, and this time it asked its readership to choose the Autonis winners from 88 current models spanning eleven vehicle classes. In the compact class, the BMW 2 Series Coupe scored the highest number of votes. The two-door model is the latest in a long line of sporty and compact BMW models that extend back to the 02 and have lost none of their fascinating allure. The Autonis trophy for the most attractive design in the mid-size class, meanwhile, was shared by the BMW 4 Series Coupe and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Despite their very distinct underlying concepts, the duo share a sporty, elegant design language that gives them both the dynamic and individual charisma for which the brand is renowned.
The victories in the Autonis poll extend two remarkable winning streaks. Shortly after their launch, both the BMW 2 Series Coupe and BMW 4 Series Coupe were presented with the iF Design Award and red dot award for outstanding product design by expert juries. They instantly won over the public, too, recording class victories in the 2014 edition of the Autonis survey. Following the latest model updates, they have now demonstrated the enduring appeal of their design to impressive effect with renewed success in the “auto, motor und sport†poll.