Various BMW vehicles were recognized with awards and other citations in 2021 and during the beginning of 2022, and the list of models is long and varied. According to German automotive magazine Auto Motor und Sport, the BMW 2 Series coupe took first place in the media outlet’s best cars 2022 competition, which encompassed 386 current vehicles models and used the votes of more than 100,000 readers to determine a winner. The second-generation 2 Series coupe, unveiled last summer, was recognized as the best car in the compact class with 12.7% of the vote. According to BMW, the 2 Series coupe came in first thanks to what’s described as an extroverted design, its inherent balance, and a six-cylinder engine, the latter of which isn’t easy to find in a compact car.
The BMW 5 Series, now offered in G30 LCI form, also came in first in the upper mid-range segment according to the Auto Motor und Sport best cars 2022 reader’s poll, with 18.4% of the vote. The current 5 Series is produced in a number of different configurations, with four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines, a lineup which includes three diesel and four gasoline units. It’s also offered in plug-in hybrid form with the model designation 530e, and both the sedan and touring versions of the 5 Series have collectively secured the top spot in the upper mid-range segment four times in total. The characteristics that set the 5 Series apart according to BMW are its sporty and elegant design, a perfect harmony between dynamic performance and driving comfort, and advanced equipment including driver assistance technology.
The success of the 5 Series and 2 Series coupe in 2022 follows up on the 3 Series winning the mid-size segment vote in 2021. In addition to coming in first in its class in the 2021 Auto Motor und Sport vote, the 3 Series was also voted best company car in the mid-size category according to Auto Bild, another German automotive news media outlet. Last year, Auto Bild also recognized the 540i xDrive sedan as the 2021 value champion, according to data from the Schwacke market observation organization, which determines the vehicles that had the most stable value in the German auto market.
Last year, the BMW M4 and M5 CS were also praised in the Auto Bild Sportscars and Sport Auto magazines, and the M4 won the Golden Steering Wheel award from Auto Bild and Bild am Sonntag. BMW M was also voted as the performance brand of the year according to readers of Auto Zeitung. Also in 2021, the BMW iX was recognized with the highest honor from the iF Design Awards, while six additional iF Design Awards were also bestowed upon the iX, i4 concept, and the new M4 GT3.
BMW’s all-electric models have also been garnering attention outside of Germany. The British version of GQ crowned the iX its electric vehicle of the year for 2021, while the BMW i4 won Top Gear‘s saloon of the year award last year as well. In China, the iX was named the best debut NEV and the national new NEV of the year according to the websites Sohu and BitAuto, respectively. Finally, the BMW i4 was voted car of the year for 2022 in Norway, the country with the world’s highest electrical vehicle take rate.—Alex Tock
[Photos courtesy BMW AG.]
