BMW held their Innovations Xpo 2011 from the 9 to 11 September 2011, at the Keppel Island Plaza. The Xpo served to showcase BMW's EfficientDynamics and ConnectedDrive technologies feature in their cars.

There was also a special sneak preview of the all-new 1-Series, which is scheduled to be launched in Singapore by the end of this year.

The all-new 1-Series features a brand new 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, which will power both the 116i and 118i models when they are launched. According to Mr Neil Fiorentinos, Managing Director of BMW Group Asia, the new engine "combines instantaneous power delivery of up to 14 and 27bhp more than their respective predecessor models, while demonstrating exemplary fuel consumption of up to 10 per cent."

 

 

The highlight of the Xpo, however, was the five demonstration stations that displayed the various BMW technologies now available on their cars.

Three of the stations were dedicated to BMW's XDrive system that are found on their all-wheel-drive vehicles, showcasing the way torque is transferred between the wheels during various situations, as and when power is required.

 

 

 

The other two stations demonstrated BMW's Connected Drive technologies, with the Park Assist function that helps with parallel parking, and the Active Steering and Surround View, which took drivers on a short obstacle course to showcase the various cameras on the car that assist with identifying road obstacles.

 

These technologies only serve to make driving an easier and fuss-free experience, and it's good to know that they will be commonplace in future BMWs.