BMW to Introduce Diesel Hybrid Concept

AutoWeek reports, "BMW is setting out to silence critics of big, gas-guzzling SUVs with a new diesel-hybrid-powered X5 concept that it claims is as economical and clean-running as a modern sedan."  The seven-seat SUV will make its public debut at next week's Geneva Auto Show.  The automaker says the concept, called the "X5 Vision," achieves 36.5 mpg.  It uses the standard regenerative braking method found on all production hybrids today to charge a lithium-ion battery pack mounted beneath the cargo floor, but mates the system to "BMW's latest twin-turbocharged, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder, common-rail diesel engine."  AutoWeek claims that BMW "is already testing" the diesel hybrid drivetrain "in various prototypes on German roads. It plans to introduce the powertrain in upcoming models such as the new X6 and the 5 Series-based Progressive Activity Sedan."  Jalopnik says, "In addition to the hybrid system, this concept version features brake regeneration and roof-mounted solar panels that create energy that can be used to pre-heat the diesel fuel."  Edmunds Inside Line adds, "Even more intriguing, BMW insiders have tipped the X5 concept as a serious contender for production. As the first official photos were released today, an insider told Inside Line that the model could be built ‘within the next two to three years.'"