2017 was a massive year for BMW with sales records and awards from around the globe. Here’s a quick recap from the past 12 months.

Official Release: In 2017, numerous awards and prizes have yet again underscored the high degree of recognition BMW automobiles, the brand and the company meet with both nationally and internationally. Not only were the outstanding product attributes offered across all model series honoured with accolades, but also their design, innovative technologies, intelligent connectivity and, last but not least, exceptional level of sustainability. The prize winners were chosen both by readers of well-known trade journals as well as by juries consisting of car journalists and experts from the IT, business, environment and design sectors.

New BMW 5 Series clinches the most awards.

The new BMW 5 Series was particularly successful, receiving more accolades than any other BMW automobile. This success underlines not only the high appreciation the new BMW 5 Series meets with worldwide, but also that the new generation launched at the end of 2016 keeps pace with the newest developments. In the UK, the trade journal “What Car?” voted the BMW 5 Series overall winner of “Car of the Year”, and within the framework of the “New Car Award” (“Autocar”) it also received the “Executive Car of the Year” accolade. The BMW 5 Series not only met with the highest approval in the readers’ choice “Auto Trophy – World’s Best Cars” held by the German trade journal “Auto Zeitung” in the category “Luxury Class”, but was also voted “Four-wheel Drive Car of the Year” in the four-wheel drive vehicle class over 40,000 Euros by readers of the German trade journal “Auto Bild Allrad”. The BMW 5 Series’ leading position in the area of vehicle connectivity is reflected in it winning the “Car Connectivity Award 2017” (“auto motor und sport” in collaboration with “Chip”) and the “Golden Computer” award (“Computer Bild”). In both cases, the BMW 5 Series was able to clinch victory in the category “Connected Car”. With that many attributes, it is not surprising that the BMW 5 Series is also able to convince with long-term quality and was also awarded the title “Value Champion 2017” by the trade journal “Auto Bild” and used car professionals from eurotaxSCHWACKEexpert for low car value depreciation values. However, the design of the series models, which are available in the Sedan and Touring versions, was also very convincing. Not only was the BMW 5 Series bestowed with the “Red Dot Award: Product Design” by judges from the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, but the award panel of the iF Industrie Forum Design e. V. also honoured the new generation of the world’s most successful business sedan with the “iF Gold Award” (category “Automobiles”) for outstanding design.

BMW i3 and BMW i8 enjoy an excellent reputation.

In 2017, BMW’s high level of competence in the area of electrified drive systems was yet again able to convince, a fact that is substantiated by the numerous accolades that went to the purely electrically powered BMW i3 and the progressive plug-in hybrid sports car BMW i8. In the readers’ vote held by “Auto Zeitung”, the “Auto Trophy” in the category “Electric Cars” went to the BMW i3, whilst readers honoured the BMW i8 within the framework of the “Green Mobility Trophy” as “Best Hybrid Car”. Likewise, the two BMW series models proved unbeatable in the voting for “Green Auto Test Winner”, a prize awarded by the automotive trade journal “Auto Test” in collaboration with “Ökotrend”. The BMW i3 (category “Small Car”) and the BMW i8 (category “Coupes”) were each voted “Most Environmentally Friendly Car”, and like the BMW 5 Series, the innovative sports coupe was successful in the readers’ vote for “Four-wheel Drive Car of the Year” (Auto Bild Allrad, category “Four-wheel Drive Hybrid Cars”), whilst in the UK, the BMW i3 clinched not only the title “Car of the Year” awarded by “What Car?”, but also the “New Car Award” endowed by “Autocar” in the category “Electric Car of the Year”.

For the third time in a row, the BMW i8 was bestowed with the “International Engine of the Year Award”. Following overall victory in 2015 and class victory in 2016, the innovative and highly efficient drive system featured by the BMW i8 convinced specialist jurors, remaining unbeaten in the rating for “Engines with a displacement of 1.4 to 1.8 litres” in 2017 as well. The choice of the BMW X5 xDrive40e iPerformance as “Green SUV of the Year” by the “Green Car Journal” (USA) rounds off the excellent performance demonstrated by electric and electrified automobiles from BMW.

Connectivity: Awards underline leading position.

In addition to automotive products, vehicle connectivity also gathered a number of accolades. BMW emerged particularly successful in the award “The Best Brands” held by the trade journal “Auto Bild”: With victories in the categories “Connected Car”, “Assistant Systems”, “Menu Navigation and Operation”, “Smartphone to Internet Connectivity” and “Well-connected Services”, all best ratings in the category “Connectivity und Infotainment” went to BMW.

BMW’s exceptional position in this area is also underpinned by the successes achieved by the BMW Navigation system Professional (category “Navigation Systems”), the BMW WLAN Hotspot (category “Entertainment/Multimedia”) and the BMW Touch Display (category “Operating Concepts/Displays”) in the “Car Connectivity Award 2017” (“auto motor und sport” in collaboration with “Chip”).

First places also for brand and company.

The Best Brands Organisation (incl. “ProSiebenSat. 1 Media”, “WirtschaftsWoche”, “Die Zeit”, “Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung”) honoured the BMW brand as “Best Corporate Brand (international)”, whilst the BMW AG received the “Luxury Award” in the category “Business Enterprise”, which was presented for the first time by the magazine “Robb Report”. Furthermore, the automotive journal “Auto Test” and the magazine “Ökotrend” honoured the BMW Group in the voting for “Green Car Test Winner” with the title “The Most Environmentally Friendly Brand”.

As a whole, the awards and accolades won underline the fact that BMW not only provides convincing state-of-the-art products and services, but as a company also actively shapes the trends of tomorrow. BMW’s inventive strength as a trendsetter has a long-standing tradition: With the BMW 600 and the BMW M1, two BMW automobiles from two different eras in the company’s history have each received the most reader’s votes in the “Golden Classic Steering Wheel” award (“Auto Bild”) and the “Motor Classic Award” (“Motor Klassik”) and emerged victorious in each of their classes.

The most prestigious accolades awarded to BMW in 2017 at a glance:

Prizes awarded by “Auto Zeitung”.

“Green Mobility Trophy”:
– BMW i8 (best hybrid car)

“Auto Trophy – World’s Best Cars”:
– BMW i3 (electric cars)
– BMW 3 Series (midsize class)
– BMW 5 Series (premium class)
– BMW X3 (SUVs from €25,000 to €50,000)

Prizes awarded by “Auto Test” and “Ökotrend”.

“Green Auto Test Winner / Most Environmentally Friendly Cars”:
– BMW Group (most environmentally friendly brand)
– BMW i3 (94 Ah) (small cars)
– BMW i8 (coupes)

Prizes awarded by “Sport Auto”.

“Sport Auto Award”:
– BMW 340i (sedan/touring models up to €50,000)
– BMW M240i Coupe (coupes up to €50,000)
– BMW M240i Convertible (convertibles/roadsters up to €50,000)
– BMW M2 Coupe (coupes up to €100,000)

Prizes awarded by “Auto Bild Allrad”.

“Four-Wheel Drive Car of the Year”:
– BMW 5 Series (four-wheel drive passenger cars over €40,000)
– BMW i8 (four-wheel drive hybrid cars)

Prize awarded by “Motor Klassik”.

“Motor Klassik Award”:
– BMW M1 (classic cars of the 1970s)

Prize awarded by “Auto Bild Klassik”.

“Golden Classic Steering Wheel”:
– BMW 600 (small cars and compact cars)

Prizes awarded by “auto motor und sport” and “Chip”.

“Car Connectivity Award 2017”:
– BMW 5 Series (connected car)
– BMW Navigation Professional (navigation systems)
– BMW WLAN Hotspot (entertainment/multimedia)
– BMW Touch Display (operating concepts/displays)

Prizes awarded by “Auto Bild”.

“The Best Brands”:
– BMW (connected car)
– BMW (assistant systems)
– BMW (menu navigation and operation)
– BMW (smartphone to Internet connectivity)
– BMW (well-connected services)

Prize awarded by “Computer Bild”.
“Golden Computer”:
– BMW 5 Series (connected car)

Prize awarded by “Auto Bild” and Schwacke.

“Wertmeister 2017”:
– BMW 5 Series (premium class)

Prizes awarded by “auto motor und sport”.

“Autonis”:
– BMW 2 Series Coupe (compact class)
– BMW 4 Series Coupe/Gran Coupe (midsize class)

Prize awarded by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen.

“Red Dot Award: Product Design 2017”:
– BMW 5 Series Sedan (passenger cars)

Prize awarded by iF Industrie Forum Design e. V.

“iF Gold Award 2017”:
– BMW 5 Series (automobiles)

Prize awarded by “Best Brands”.
“Best Corporate Brand (international)”:

Prize awarded by “Robb Report”.

“Luxury Award”:
– BMW AG (business enterprises)

Prize awarded by “Engine Technology International”.

“International Engine of the Year”:
– BMW i8

Prize awarded by “EuroCarBody 2017”.

“EuroCarBody Award 2017”:
– BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo

Prizes awarded by “What Car?” (GB).

“Car of the Year”:
– BMW 520d (Overall Winner 2017)
– BMW i3 (Electric Car £20,000 – £40,000)
– BMW M140i (Best Hot Hatch > £25,000)

Prizes awarded by “Autocar” (GB).

“New Car Awards”:
– BMW 5 Series (Executive Car of the Year)
– BMW i3 (Electric Car of the Year)
– BMW (Technology Award)

Prize awarded by “Test Aankoop/Test Achat” (B).

“Best of the Test”:
– BMW 3 Series Touring (Family Break)

Prize awarded by “Green Car Journal” (USA).

“Green SUV of the Year“:
– BMW X5 xDrive40e iPerformance

Prize awarded by “U.S. News and World Report” (AUS).

“U.S. News Best Car”:
– BMW X3 (Best Luxury Compact SUV for Families)

Prizes awarded by “cars.co.za” (SA).

“Consumer Awards”:
– BMW 750Li Design Pure Excellence (First Class of the Year)
– BMW M2 Coupe (Performance Car of the Year)

Prize awarded by “Car and Driver Magazine” (BRA).

“Best Premium Sedan”:
– BMW 5 Series

Prize awarded by “NDTV Car and Bike” (IND).

“Luxury Car of the Year”:
– BMW 7 Series