Mini Cooper, one of the popular brands of Germany based leading car maker BMW, is all set to hit the Indian roads very soon. The firm has sped up its plans of launching the Mini brand in the Indian market and the Delhi International auto expo in the National Capital in January 2012 is expected to be used as a launching pad for this much awaited car series.
While speaking to the reporters at the ongoing Frankfurt Auto Expo, Member of the board of management, BMW Group, said Harald Kruger said, "We are introducing the Mini in India to build our brand image."
While, further informing about this iconic brand, Mr. Kruger said, "A lot of Indians who have studied abroad are familiar with the brand. They are our potential customers. They perhaps drove the Mini when they were abroad and will miss it when they are back in India. While Mini in the rest of the world is an ageless brand, in India, we think it will have a huge potential for the young people." "It can be driven for an evening dinner out or to a sports event or as a city runabout."
In last 50 years, MINI Cooper has been through a series of acquisitions by leading European auto makers. The firm was first acquired by British Leyland Motor Corporation 1959, which was followed by its acquisition by another British firm Rover Group. The firm was later on sold to British Aerospace that finally sold it to German luxury car giant BMW AG.
The car is expected to be brought to the Indian auto market through CBU (completely built unit) route, the same route that was adopted by the cars like Volkswagen’s iconic Beetle and Fiat’s popular 500 model. This way, the Mini Cooper will be attracting a 102 percent import duty, levied on the CBUs. The starting price tag of BMW Mini is expected to be Rs 23 lakh in the country.
