BMW officially announces the new two-litre engine for the Z4 and the 5 Series

It follows the widespread trend of reducing engine displacement, and BMW is one of the most active brands in this regard. The latest move we had been waiting for in the downsizing of the brand is now officially announced: the use of the 2-litre turbocharged engine, the same one that will be used in the BMW X1, for the 5 Series and the BMW Z4.

As for the Z4, Pablo had already told us about it a few days earlier, courtesy of Automobile’s Twitter account. Today BMW has made it official, although launch dates for the models with the new engine are scarce, but it is said that it could happen at some point between the end of this year and the beginning of 2012.

The goal of lower weight and consumption is met, as expected. BMW has announced that the new four-cylinder offers a 16% improvement in fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

For the X1 28xDrive, it is said to deliver 245 horsepower, so those who want more will probably have to opt for the X1 30i, though we don’t know whether it will continue to be offered, since a 13-horsepower difference is not so significant that the brand would keep only one variant of the six-cylinder in the market.