Compact: the long and the short of it

Breathes deeply, saves fuel, rides easy. This beamer is a dream, writes motoring editor ALASTAIR SLOANE.

It couldn't have worked out better for BMW New Zealand. Two good things in one day - the launch of a new car and confirmation that it will sell more than 1000 vehicles this year.

BMW hasn't sold 1000 cars in a calendar year since it set up shop in New Zealand in the 1980s, although it has come tantilisingly close a couple of times.

BMW is doing well worldwide this year, breaking sales records in all its main markets. Sales were up nearly 10 per cent in the first half of the year, which points to 900,000 sales in 2001. Demand has consistently outstripped supply, particularly for models equipped with the new range of diesel and petrol engines.

One model which will further strengthen sales figures is the new Compact, unveiled in Auckland last Tuesday. It is bigger overall and more than twice as strong as the outgoing model.

Three Compacts will be available - the four-cylinder Compact and Compact SE and six-cylinder Compact 325ti. The prices reflect equipment levels and engines. Manual or manual/automatic Steptronic gearboxes are optional. The four-cylinder cars come with 15-inch wheels as standard. The six-cylinder gets 17-inch feet.

The four-cylinder 1.8-litre engine produces 85kW at 5500 rpm and 175Nm of torque at 3750 rpm. The six-cylinder develops 141kW at 5000 rpm and 245Nm at 3500 rpm.

The five-speed manual Compact costs $39,990, the five-speed Steptronic $43,990. The manual SE costs $44,990, the Steptronic $48,990. These cars are on sale now. The six-cylinder Compact 325ti, about 25kg heavier than the four-cylinder, will arrive in November. The manual model will cost $69,990, the Steptronic $73,900.

BMW says it will sell about 120 Compacts in the next three-and-a-half months. It has already sold 12, is holding deposits on 86 others, and is ready to shift the remaining 20-odd. Next year it says it will sell 300. It says eight out of 10 buyers will choose the Steptronic option.

The new Compact is based on the chassis and suspension of the 3-Series sedan and coupe. The car is 210mm shorter overall than the sedan but has the same wheelbase, a measure which gives it similar driving dynamics. The 50:50 weight distribution helps, too.

The outgoing Compact was an entry level model, borrowing as it did from the BMW parts bin. Its outdated rear suspension was its weak link.

The new Compact is a different car altogether, much more sophisticated. It uses the sports version of the multi-link suspension and BMW's revised rack and pinion steering system, which is more communicative.

On the road the Compact is nimble and hugely competent, typical of the brand. Ride and handling over all surfaces is excellent. So is the driving position. The doors are the largest in the 3-Series range with an aperture that allows easy access to the rear. The rear seats could be more comfortable, though.

The Compact is the first BMW to get Valvetronic, an improved engine breathing system.

Valvetronic replaces the traditional manifold butterfly throttle with a lever positioned between the camshaft and Vanos-equipped variable inlet valves. This lever serves to direct the fuel-air mixture into the chamber for more efficient combustion.

It eliminates the problem of inlet air turbulence and improves throttle response. The result, says BMW, is a 10 per cent saving in fuel usage and a leap in technology comparable to the changeover from carburettors to fuel injection.

Engineers compare Valvetronic with the way humans breathe - deeply for effort, shallower for less effort.

"Humans breathe in deeply when we need air," says BMW technician Greg Clarke. "But whenever we need less air we do not throttle the supply by closing our mouths. A throttle butterfly is comparable to a human keeping his or her mouth or nose partially closed when breathing in. Valvetronic provides the optimum amount of air in the fuel mix all the time."

The Compact is well equipped and comes with BMW's usual array of safety equipment and electronic cornering, traction and braking aids to help prevent the careless driver from turning the car on its head. If that happens, head airbags will come into play. They are optional in the four-cylinder cars and standard in the six-cylinder.