Reference Auto

German luxury car maker BMW India is almost neck and neck with Mercedes-Benz so far as its market share in the luxury cars segment is concerned, and in an effort to take on Mercedes-Benz’s litany of new luxury liners, BMW has rolled out a new 5-series car, the BMW 520d, with a price tag of Rs 36.9 lakh (ex-showroom all India).

The new BMW 520d has a two-litre four cylinder turbo diesel engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The new variant will come as a completely knocked down unit and roll out from the Chennai plant. It will be available at BMW dealerships throughout India.

“The 5-series is a core model among our products. The new BMW 5 Series sedan, which was launched in April 2010, has emerged as a leader in the luxury sedan segment in India,” BMW India president Andreas Schaaf said.

The auto maker said the 520d will offer a good mileage at 18.4 km per litre (as per tests by the Automotive Research Association of India). The car can reach from 0 to 100 km per hour in just 8.1 seconds!

This engine can produce 184 horse power and a peak torque of 380 Nm at low revs of 1,750 rpm. The car has a top speed of 225 km/hour. Features that come with the new beemer are an in-dash single MP3 CD audio with USB, aux-in along with Bluetooth interface as standard, 17 inch rims and sunroof.

The new BMW 520d will be available in 10 colours that include Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Cashmere Silver, Deep Sea Blue, Havanna, Mlano Beige, Space Grey, Titanium Silver, Imperial Blue Brilliant Effect and Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect.

The 520d is among BMW’s best selling models and BMW is betting big on this car to rev up luxury car sales and dent Mercedes market.

The 5-Series car is likely to not only see high sales but could have a fan following. With a diesel engine, it offers an unprecedented level of comfort, and with BMW’s engineering, the 520d could turn out to be a winner.

Mercedes has gone on an aggressive launch spree to stay ahead in the race with BMW and BMW will have to put launches in India on the fast lane to counter its rival.

In October, BMW had logged its highest sales at 753 cars, which is a record in itself. For a luxury car maker, this figure is indeed a reason to celebrate.

The luxury car segment in India is growing at a rate of 60 per cent annually and BMW is eyeing to end the year with sales of over 6,000 cars against last year when the luxury car maker sold around 3,700 cars. With more roll-outs, this figure can be substantially higher next year.

With the launch of the 520d, BMW can hope to rev up sales as the car not only offers the elegance of a luxury car but also has its price set much below the models of its rival Mercedes-Benz, and if BMW manages to reach its annual target of 6,000 cars, it may also trump Mercedes-Benz to take the top slot in luxury cars in India.