Reference Auto

BMW is not only planning to retain its top slot in the luxury cars market in India (where it overtook German peer and arch rival Mercedes-Benz) but it also said it plans to roll out a whopping 60,000 cars in the country’s market in a decade while unveiling the 6 Series Convertible for a price tag of Rs 95 lakh.

The country’s luxury cars segment is on fire with companies seeing sales double in two to three years and BMW could be the biggest beneficiary of this surge.

BMW is doing all it can to retain the top slot but Mercedes-Benz is also giving it some fierce competition.

The growth story in the luxury segment has also prompted BMW to unwrap its plans to bring in the X3 this year in the form of a completely knocked down unit or CKD. The X3 will be assembled at the Chennai plant.

The company, which is bullish on the Indian luxury segment, plans to pump in an additional Rs 70 crore by 2012.

The 6 Series car has a petrol variant only and comes with an eight-speed sports automatic transmission and a 4.4-litre V8 engine that has TwinPower turbo technology, which can deliver 407 hp. The car can zoom from zero to 100 km per hour in five seconds only and touch a top speed of 250 km per hour.

“The new BMW 6 Series Convertible, which has breathtaking aesthetics, is just perfect for an exclusive lifestyle. The elegant silhouette, torquey engine, perfect road grip and plush interiors, which have seen perfection to the smallest detail, create an ultra-luxurious open-top driving experience that can’t get any better,” BMW India president Andreas Schaaf said while unveiling the car.

The company has realised that rolling out models alone will not help it retain the top slot in the luxury segment this year.

“Besides launching cars in the next couple of years, we will double our dealerships across the country to 40 and infuse more funds at the Chennai plant to meet our future needs,” Schaaf added.

“We have recently bought more land to ramp up the size of our Chennai facility, while our annual production capacity has also been raised to 10,000 units from the current 8,000 units. If required, we can produce more cars,” Schaaf said.

Last year, BMW India sold 6,426 cars, which is a mind blowing 40 per cent share of the luxury car market. Total sales in the segment stood at 15,000 cars.

Though BMW did not want to touch the Rs 1 crore-mark while pricing the 6 Series Convertible, it is felt that the car is priced slightly on the higher side. Also, the company could have rolled out a diesel variant, as diesel cars have found favour in India.

But BMW knows that customers are willing to pay for premium cars if they are feature rich and this pricing is unlikely to be a hindrance factor for buyers to lap up the 6 Series car.

With German peers Mercedes-Benz and Audi also bringing in new modes and more players entering the fray in the segment, BMW could face a bumpy road in its bid to target 60,000 car sales in 10 years even as the 6 Series Convertible could rev up sales and revenues substantially in the short term.

German luxury car maker BMW, which wants to stay in the number one slot in the country’s premium car segment, has given India’s super rich another option during the booming festive season by rolling out its crossover model the X6, which carries a price tag of between Rs 78.9 lakh and Rs 93.4 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

The car maker, buoyed by the recent boost in festival sales, is planning to rev up dealer network amid stiff competition from Mercedes Benz and Audi, among other luxury car companies.

While the eight-cylinder petrol X6 will be priced at Rs 93.4 lakh, the six-cylinder diesel variant comes cheaper at Rs 78.9 lakh.

The petrol X6 is propelled by a 4,395 cc engine (which is simply mind blowing), while the diesel option is powered by a 2,993 cc one.

The diesel xDrive40d is powered by an inline six engine, which can produce a maximum of 310 PS power. On the other hand, the petrol X6 xDrive50i is propelled by a 412 PS, producing 4.4 litre V8.

The group’s economy model, the Mini, had so far logged sales of 241 cars, said BMW India Group president Philipp von Sahr, while revealing that the company plans to further develop the BMW brand in India.

“In 2013, we are bullish on some growth in the backdrop of our new dealerships and new model range. We will launch the new X1, 7 Series and the 1 Series in the coming year,” von Sahr said.

Speaking on the new X6 models, he added, “This new car is unlike any other model. It has created a niche segment for itself. We are confident that the new X6 will soon become the cynosure of our customers.”

The BMW X6 will come in via the completely built unit or CBU route for the xDrive50i trims. The upgraded X6 comes with cosmetic changes like the BMW kidney-grille with three-dimensional chrome frames, fresh fog lamps and LED tail lamps. Customers have the option to deck their X6 with a powerdome bonnet.

Moreover, there are also the innovation or luxury packages that come with the X6. The former brings in head-up display, BMW apps and full LED lights while the other paves way for seats with lumbar support along with heating and ventilation capabilities.

The leather upholstery comes in numerous options in the new BMW X6 such as Beige, Black, Saddle Brown/Black and Vermillion Red/Black Finewood Ash Grain, Finewood Bamboo Grain Dark, Aluminium Flywheel Black or Aluminium.

Despite a slowdown in the market, BMW has managed to see similar sales as last year while Audi’s grew 40 per cent. By ramping up dealerships network, BMW will not only spur sales of the new X6 but all other models as well.

BMW has been one of the first luxury car makers to roll out a high-end luxury crossover (which is somewhere between a sedan and an SUV) during the festival season.

So, BMW, with its new X6, does have a first-mover advantage to tap the super rich (that too with a niche product) by cashing in on the festive season and its strong brand name in India.

BMW had got the better of Mercedes-Benz in the Indian market for the last couple of years and to take on its German peer, BMW has recently brought in the BMW 3 Series car into the country, which sets new standards not only in elegance but also in economic pricing.

The company, which rolled out the car in July, logged over 300 bookings in the first month itself, clearly showing that the luxury liner has found favour among car buffs in terms of price, space as well as looks.

So, with a combination of snazzy looks and fair pricing ranging from Rs 29 lakh to Rs 39 lakh, BMW hopes to wean away a substantial chunk of buyers in the mid luxury segment (Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh) by offering a car that could easily be passed off as a high-end luxury liner.

The 3 Series is available since July itself across all BMW dealerships in the country.

The 1,995 cc four-cylinder diesel engine (for the diesel models) of the 3 Series comes with BMW’s proprietary Twin-Power Turbo tech. This gives peak power a fillip at 184 bhp, which is delivered at a whopping 4,000 rpm. Peak torque is a mind blowing 380 Nm available between 1,750 rpm and 2,750 rpm range.

During the launch a few months back, president of BMW Group India Andreas Schaaf said, “The all-new BMW 3 Series is a car that comes with an unbeatable profile and is the outcome of a pioneering technology, a beautiful design and a great deal of passion. In addition to the powerful performance and higher efficiency, the BMW 3 Series offers substantial comfort and space as well. The new BMW 3 Series will set a new benchmark in the luxury segment and this will help us continue our winning streak.”

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who recently had a brush with the BMW 3 Series car, said, “I drove the car this month in London. It felt incredible.”

He added, “With me being a car enthusiast, safety is supreme. I am really impressed with the 3 Series. It is absolutely stunning and the interiors are mind blowing, with substantial space. Compared to the earlier BMW cars, this is undoubtedly more spacious.” 

The all-new BMW 3 Series comes in two designs christened Sport Line and Luxury Line. Sport Line, as the name indicates, comes with sporty styling while Luxury Line offers the car buff elegant looks along with luxurious features.

The all-new BMW 3 Series comes in diesel BMW 320d versions as well as a petrol variant, comprising the BMW 328i. The prices of the diesel variants range from Rs 28.9 lakh to Rs 36.9 lakh whereas the petrol version comes for Rs 37.9 lakh.

So, with Sachin giving his stamp of approval and with the car being elegant along with economic, this luxury liner (the BMW 3 Series) will surely set a milestone in the premium segment and draw a substantial chunk of high-end car buffs.

German automaker BMW is revving up in a niche category: ‘Budget’  luxury cars with the entry of the new 2013 X1 SUV into the country’s market.

The pricing of the BMW X1 will begin from Rs 27.9 lakh (showroom price).

The new BMW X1 is propelled by a 2 litre diesel engine, which comes in three variants. Prices begin from Rs 27.9 lakh for the base variant while the top two variants are a tad expensive at Rs 32.5 lakh.

The 2.0 litre diesel engine now offers 186 PS power and 380 Nm torque. The engine is combined with BMW’s eight-speed Steptronic automatic torque converter gearbox, which also paves way for manual gear shift.

The latest generation X1 has features like auto start-stop, brake-energy regeneration and ECO PRO mode, among others.

The refreshed X1 comes with interior cosmetic changes, which include dual-tone interiors, a glut of silver and chrome accents inside the cabin and an electroplated trim surrounding for the gearshift lever along with centre console cup holders.

The new X1 has new alloy wheels, fresh outside colour options, a new front bumper with a revamped air diffuser, a snazzy grille, new headlights with LED accent lights, ORVMs with integrated indicators, a new rear bumper and a new rear air diffuser.

BMW also made suspension of the refreshed X1 softer for Indian road conditions and the steering wheel has been made lighter for city driving.

BMW sold 9,400 cars in the previous year, and with the introduction of more and more economy cars into the luxury segment, it is likely to retain its top slot in the luxury cars market in the country at least in the medium term.

The luxury car maker will stop making the X1 petrol, considering the fad for diesel cars in the country, which is a judicious move.

The three new X1 models are diesel and can accelerate at a mind blowing rate, that is, it can reach from 0 to 100 km an hour in less than eight seconds.

In an effort to give its portfolio a boost, BMW is also lining up the 1 Series cars (for India), which will be assembled from the company’s plant in Chennai.

The new X1 comes with better ground clearance and the interiors and exteriors along with other features have undergone substantial changes with a very attractive price.

The luxury SUV market in India is set for a growth of at least 35 per cent to 50 per cent, and with the launch of an ‘affordable’ SUV in this category, BMW will not only create a new segment but will also see its X1 drive sales substantially.

BMW India has finally rolled out a spruced up Z4 convertible in the country at Rs 68.9 lakh (ex-showroom) for the basic variant while the higher version has been priced a tad higher at Rs 69.9 lakh, which is a judicious move, while Audi hopes to come out of the third spot (in the luxury car market) with launch of the A4 Celebration Edition, targeting car operators in a bid to raise volumes. 

BMW’s 3.0 litre, straight 6, twin-turbocharged, petrol engine will propel the new Z4. Offering 310 PS and 400 Nm torque, the Z4 can definitely find its rightful place against competition such as the Mercedes’ SLK and Audi’s TT.

The Z4 does have the look of a modern sports car and will be available with BMW’s dealers in a few days.

The new Z4 doesn’t have much of sprucing up with the few ones being a slightly refurbished kidney grille along with a new headlamp cluster which have hexagonal day-time running lights.

These new headlamps come with corona shaped fibre optic day-time running lights and this jazzes up the Z4’s looks in a big way.

The new Z4 also comes in an attractive new colour – the Valencia Orange. But this colour is available only with the new ‘Design Pure Traction’ package that comes with more equipment such as a special metal weave finish for the interior trim.

The package also has the ‘BMW Individual’ anthracite headliner with leather and Alcantara seats. 

Bullish on the rollout, president of BMW India Philipp von Sahr said, “The new BMW Z4 offers the excitement of dynamism and aesthetics in a better style than ever before. The new Z4 is an attractive contemporary interpretation of the traditional roadster concept.”

Audi isn’t sitting idle either and has launched a new entry level A4 Celebration Edition to woo buyers during the festive period and also give its brand name a fillip. The Audi A4 is a limited edition car and would be available for a short duration.

The new Celebration Edition A4 will come only in white in the 2.0 litre turbocharged, diesel engine that offers 145 PS and 320 Nm torque. The Celebration Edition of the Audi A4 will come only in front wheel drive and not the Quattro system, which the car maker seems to have done away with.

So far as the interiors go, the A4 Celebration Edition of the Audi will not have the usual wooden trim on the dashboard and instead come with a simpler black trim. The front passenger seats would be manually adjustable (against electronically adjustable seats in higher variants) and this is a dampener for car buffs.

Another downside is that the Celebration Edition of the A4 doesn’t have a reversing camera and parking sensors for parking assistance.

The Celebration Edition is Rs 6 lakh cheaper than other variants and by cutting down on certain features, Audi is probably eyeing car operators rather than the discernible customer while BMW is sitting pretty with its snazzy Z4 (of course with judicious pricing).

With the top player in the luxury car market Audi and Mercedes-Benz (which is placed third after BMW) coming out with cheaper offerings, BMW doesn’t want to be left behind (but storm the market) and has rolled out its entry-level compact hatchback, the 1 Series car, with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol and a tad powerful 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine for a price of Rs 20 lakh-Rs 29 lakh.

The 1.6-litre turbo petrol model will be available in a base trim starting at Rs 20.9 lakh (showroom price Mumbai). The base 1.6-litre turbo petrol model belts out 138 PS and 220 Nm torque and will be mated with a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The petrol 116i of the 1 Series comes only as a base variant but has a slew of gadgets that a car with a price tag of Rs 20 lakh should have. 

There are two trims offered with the diesel spec version – the Sport Plus and the Sport Line.

Standard frills in the BMW 1 Series cars are fog lamps, automatic headlights, rear parking sensors, a start and stop button, a CD player with aux-in compatibility, Eco mode, six airbags, ABS, BMW’s Brake Energy Regeneration system and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Also being offered with an eight-speed auto box, the 118d turbo diesel model of the 1 Series is more powerful compared to the petrol one as the company knows that diesel cars are more popular. The diesel variant offers 144 PS power and 320 Nm torque between 1,750-2,500 rpm.

The 118d Sport Line has dual-zone climate control, a sliding front armrest, electric seat adjust with memory function, BMW’s iDrive controller, a hands-free facility with USB interface and comes with a few more features than the petrol variant.

Other than the features on the standard petrol and diesel models, the 118d Sport Plus has more offerings like keyless go, rear air-conditioner vents and a sunroof. It also gets 17-inch alloy wheels, which are bigger.

All BMW 1 Series cars will be offered with four different driving modes – Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Eco Pro, which adjust the way the engine, gearbox and steering function and this is a big plus for a car in this compact luxury category.

Luxury cars, which are priced below Rs 30 lakh, have been on demand lately and comprise almost 30 per cent of the segment’s sales where growth has been phenomenal.

According to the luxury car maker, the new 1 Series car will be locally assembled at the Chennai plant of the company via completely knocked down (CKD) kits and will vie with the recently launched Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

So, with sales of the 1 Series car hinging on features and pricing fronts, BMW could storm the luxury car market in the festival season and beyond.

Around August, Mercedes-Benz regained the top slot in luxury car sales in the country followed by BMW and Audi but BMW desperately wants to rev up to gain the number one slot again (till a few months back, Audi was number one and earlier it was BMW) and is set to bring in a sports sedan – the Z4 – which is slated to be rolled out in the middle of this month.

The BMW Z4 will be offered with insignificant changes compared to the current model of the successful two-seater sports sedan. The previous BMW Z4 is around five years old and the updated Z4 to be launched in India is expected to be just a spruced up version.

The Z4’s India version will be in the sDrive35is form but there is buzz that BMW will also launch the cheaper Z4 18i and Z4 20i variants to ramp up its market in the luxury sports car segment and also scale up its presence by seeing more buyers make a beeline for its sports cars.

The 35i will come with a 3.0 litre 6-cylinder twin-turbo engine belting out 340 PS and 400 NM torque. The Z4 18i has a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine offering 156 PS and the Z4 20i offers a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol engine with 183 bhp.

The new Z4 has a newly designed headlight, slightly refurbished bumper along with an option for a black roof and really doesn’t allow the layman car buff to distinguish between the new variant and the current one.

But BMW has made the Z4 a very attractive budget luxury car and many buffs may flock for it for its looks and of course the price (which is going to be around Rs 70 lakh).

Although there is the Mercedes-Benz SLK (at Rs 82 lakh), which is a better car in terms of performance but the Z4 is no pushover though and is a very strong contender so far as features go.

BMW is planning to spend Rs 390 crore for its Chennai plant for bringing in a new assembly line, in a bid to ramp up its capacity to 14,000 cars a year. With this move, BMW is going to have some advantage with regard to competition (Merc and Audi) and would locally assemble its six models (and may be, have price advantage).

The luxury carmaker sells 14 models in the country and was a market leader till last year but was overtaken first by Audi and then by Merc. BMW is now in the number two spot in the Indian market, ahead of Audi.

So, can BMW take pole position in the luxury car segment again from Mercedes-Benz with the launch of a cheaper version of luxury sports sedan, the Z4?

So, BMW is finally venturing into the affordable car category in India by announcing that the BMW Mini range of vehicles would be available in the country as completely built-up units (CBUs) but will it create tremors in the luxury car market?

The Mini range of BMW cars that will come into India include the Mini Hatch, Mini Convertible and Mini Countryman. These will come only in petrol variants with six-speed automatic transmission.

The Mini cars that will roll out in India comprise five models with Mini Cooper being the cheapest. It will be priced at Rs 25.50 lakh. The Mini Cooper S Countryman High will be its high-end model and come for Rs 35.90 lakh.

BMW Group president Andreas Schaaf said, “By rolling out the new Mini a decade ago, we gave the world its first premium small car brand. Since then, we have sold over two million Minis and transformed the Mini brand from a single-model range to a family of six cars.”

He added, “Three of them — the Mini Hatch, Mini Convertible and Mini Countryman — will now be driven into India. Our main focus this year will be to concentrate on successfully establishing the Mini brand in India.”

Until now, the luxury car maker invested Rs 180 crore and has a production unit in Chennai and a parts warehouse in Mumbai. It has also strengthened its dealer network across the Metros.

The Chennai plant, which has a capacity to roll out 11,000 cars annually, makes the BMW 3 series, the BMW 5 series and the BMW X1 in petrol and diesel variants. The BMW X3 comes in diesel variants only from the factory.

BMW sales in India surged 45 per cent in 2011 to 9,371 cars, and in the January-March 2012 quarter, sales were at 2,369 cars. With the Mini launch, sales prospects look promising and could touch the 15,000-mark.

The BMW Group comprises three brands — BMW, Rolls Royce and Mini — and rivets on the premium sector of the automobile market globally as well as India.

Currently, BMW has 25 outlets in the country, but by the end of 2012, it plans to ramp up its dealer network to 40 across Metro cities.

The Mini has so far registered 100 bookings already and delivery of the cars would start from May, dealer Infinity Cars managing director Pooja Choudury said. The company plans to deliver 25-30 cars every month.

The Mini has been a highly-popular brand worldwide, and with its archaic looks, it could find niche customers in the luxury segment.

In fact, many luxury car buyers have a fad for cars with an old-fashioned look. And, being affordable (around Rs 30 lakh) is an added bonus for BMW’s Mini.

But Mercedes is gearing up to vie with BMW and is set to bring in its compact car to India soon. So, many luxury car buyers could flock to buy the BMW Mini range and create tremors in the luxury car market, making an attempt to dent Mercedes market.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz are on a one-upmanship battle, and in a bid to intensify competition, BMW has rolled out a high-end luxury sedan, the M6 Gran Coupe, in the country for Rs 1.75 crore (showroom price Delhi).