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BMW 1 Series getting a small nose job

As BMW prepares to launch its new 2 Series lineup, it appears that the current 1 Series is going to get a little attention for itself. Based on these spy photos, the 1 Series hatchback (F20/F21), which is not offered in the US, will be getting a minor facelift in the near future.
From what we can see in these images, the updated 1 Series will definitely be getting a tweaked front end, with most of the attention focusing on the air intakes and grille. Our shooter tells us that it is possible that the headlights may yet be reworked in some way by the time we see this car in production form. It still isn't clear if we'll ever see this bodystyle or the next-gen 1 Series in the US, but our most recent report seems to indicate that the car's fortunes will depend somewhat on how well the Mercedes CLA-Class and Audi A3 sell.

BMW says X5 xDrive40e PHEV will get 55 MPGe

This is one vehicle that Sammy Hagar can actually drive 55. Miles on the equivalent of a gallon of gas, that is. BMW has starting talking about details of its first-ever production plug-in hybrid CUV, and the latest are centered on the model's projected miles per gallon-equivalent figure. Bimmer is now saying the its X5 xDrive40e PHEV will get a robust 55 MPGe on the US EPA scale (on the European scale, the vehicle's expected 77 or 78 grams of CO2 per kilometer would translate to around 70 mpg). The model, which pairs 2.0-liter twin-turbo four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, will be able to go as far as 13 miles on electricity alone, and also hit 75 miles per hour using just the battery. BMW first unveiled the model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013. The CUV, which will have full-time all-wheel drive, will have some guts, too. The model will deliver 308 horsepower, including 111 from the electric motor alone. As a result, the X5 xDrive40e will be able to scoot from 0-60 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds. Not exactly Tesla Model S quick, but peppy nevertheless. US and European sales for the model-year 2016 version will start this fall. The model will be produced at the company's plant in Spartanburg, SC. Take a look at BMW's press release below. Show full PR text The BMW X5 xDrive40e Launches the Next Chapter of EfficientDynamics with its First Ever Plug-in Hybrid Sports Activity Vehicle The new BMW X5 xDrive40e. The first plug-in hybrid BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Up to 13 miles of zero-tailpipe-emission pure electric driving Preliminary fuel economy estimates up to 55 MPGe 0-60 mph in just 6.5 seconds Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – March 17, 2015 ... The BMW X5 xDrive40e, the company's first plug-in hybrid Sports Activity Vehicle, charts the next chapter of BMW's ongoing EfficientDynamics initiative. Benefitting from the groundbreaking work by BMW i on electromobility, the X5 xDrive40e combines the company's award-winning 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, powered by a lithium-ion battery, integrated into its 8-speed automatic transmission. This newest BMW SAV can travel approximately 13 miles on pure electric power, ideally suited to short commutes and quick trips around town. Working in concert, the gasoline engine and electric motor puts out 308 horsepower and produces 332 lb-ft, enough to propel the X5 xDrive40e from 0-60mph in just 6.5 seconds.

Can the government mechanically force you to wear your seatbelt? [w/poll]

The National Highway Traffic Administration is considering the use of ignition interlocks in vehicles that would require the seatbelts of occupied seats to be fastened in order to drive the car, Automotive News reports, four decades after Congress moved to prevent manufacturers from installing them in cars sold in the US market. Following a transportation bill passed last year that lift some of the restrictions on seatbelt interlocks, automakers such as BMW are considering the benefits of using them in future cars. Now, before you go crying about your lost freedom, keep reading.
BMW said in an October 2012 petition that the use of seatbelt interlocks would allow the company to make lighter and more spacious vehicles, if the devices could be used in lieu of unbelted crash tests. The crash test has required the addition of bulky safety features, such as knee bolsters, that aren't as necessary when occupants are buckled up, especially when considering the dizzyng list of safety features that come standard on today's cars. Europe, which has a higher rate of seatbelt use than in the US, doesn't perform unbelted crash tests on cars sold there.