Triple success for BMW: 1 Series and 5 Series best in category and BMW AG receives "Quality Trophy"

Although the German awards such as Golden Steering Wheel or Auto Trophy are very well-known in Germany and very important for the German car manufacturers, almost nobody in the Middle East or North Africa hears about them.

We at Auto Arabia think it is important for our readers and radio listeners in the Middle East region to know which cars won their category at the German awards, especially since the German automotive market is one of the toughest, if not THE toughest, worldwide.

That is why the the BMW 5 Series continues its series of victories, while the new BMW 1 Series is just getting started. Both models have now been awarded the "Auto Trophy 2011" as the majority of voters voted for the new BMW 1 Series as the clear winner of the compact class and made the BMW 5 Series their clear favourite in the upper-range category.

BMW's outstanding results are rounded off not just with numerous other top-3 placements and but in particular the award of the "Quality Trophy".

The award ceremony for the Auto Trophy 2011 was held in D?¼sseldorf. Representing the Munich-based premium automobile manufacture and there to receive the trophies presented by the charming TV host Barbara Sch?¶neberger were Board Chairman of BMW AG, Dr. Norbert Reithofer, along with Dr. Klaus Draeger, Head of Development, and Ian Robertson, Head of Sales and Marketing.

Class victory in the "Auto Trophy" is the second renowned award for the new BMW 1 Series, coming just a few weeks after it received the Golden Steering Wheel. The powerful impression left both on professional testers and the general public by the compact model launched in September is mainly due to its sporty character. Powerful engines with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and the car's rear-wheel drive - still unique in the compact class - guarantee unsurpassed driving pleasure.

At the same time, the improvement on the predecessor model is characterised by optimised ride comfort, increased interior space and innovative fittings. 28.2% of the votes went for the BMW 1 Series as the top-ranking car in the compact class.

The BMW 5 Series achieved an even clearer vote in the upper-range class with a 37% share of the vote cast. The Auto Trophy is now added to its already impressive collection of titles. The BMW 5 Series is the world's best-selling automobile in its segment. Both the Sedan and the Touring model embody elegance and sporty flair in unique harmony. The BMW 5 Series also occupies the leading position in its category in terms of its efficiency ranking. A extensively renewed range of engines and new options have added additional appeal since autumn 2011.

The Auto Trophy was awarded for the 24th time this year and over 100,000 readers took part in the vote, choosing their favourites from almost 400 current models in 29 categories. The most successful models ever in this competition include the BMW 1 Series Convertible, which came top in its class the last three times in succession, finishing second this time around.

Other BMW model to finish in the top three were the BMW X3, the BMW X1, the BMW 3 Series, the BMW 6 Series Convertible and the BMW 6 Series Coup?©.

The BMW brand also received a special prize awarded by, the "Quality Trophy 2011". This prize seeks to recognise the quality and reliability of the current automobile range, with the BMW 1 Series, BMW 6 Series and BMW 7 Series receiving especially good ratings. The ratings are based on the results of some eight million automobile inspections carried out over the last two years.

MS
08.12.2011