BMW has had an illustrious 2014 with 8 new launches and 2 more to go. The German auto maker not only brought its conventional lineup, but has also made an effort to venture on to uncharted territory with the 7-Series ActiveHybrid that was launched in July, 2014. BMW has confirmed that the i8 Hybrid sports car will be launched by January 2015, while the new generation MINI will be launched within the first half of the next year.
Starting with the flagship BMW, the technologically advanced and the overtly expensive i8 Hybrid sports car was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo earlier this year. Built using light-weight carbon-fiber and aluminum and packing in futuristic styling, the i8 will be India’s 1st electric hybrid sports car equipped with an electric motor producing a combined power output of 357 BHP of power and with a 1.5-litre petrol engine.
BMW added that the service and sales staff for the BMW i8 will need to have special training in order to handle this high investment product. The company plans to set-up special ‘iDealers’ in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai which will deal in this hybrid range. BMW will have facilities for hybrids in its existing outlets that will require some additional investment from the company’s principal dealers. The i8 is expected to be priced around Rs. 2 crore.
MINI, the iconic hatchback now in its 3rd generation will be launched in the first half of the year 2015. The company will launch the MINI 3-door and the 5-door Countryman which are powered by a range of diesel and petrol engine options. The MINI range is expected to begin at around Rs. 27 lakhs and will be competing against the Mercedes A-Class, Fiat 500 and the upcomingAudi A3hatchback in the same space.
BMW will be closing its slew of launches this calendar year with the popular M4 coupe and M3 Sedan sports cars. Tuned by the company’s M division, the all new M3 gets a 3.0-litre BMW M twin-turbo engine producing 425 BHP of power and 550 Nm of torque paired with either a 7-speed dual-clutch or a 6-speed manual automatic transmission with power being sent to the rear wheels. SCC, DSC and ceramic brakes are also present to keep the car planted at exorbitant speeds. Both the models were recently spied in the country, hinting at a close launch date and will be priced around Rs. 1 crore.
