The German car giant BMW has been on good mood to please the Indian car lovers with an affordable range of its SUV. The likes of CR-V, Fortuner, Captiva Pajero and Outlander are already ruling the roosters in the cat segment of the market. But the alarming signal has come in the form of BMW as it is shaping its muscle with a new affordable SUV – XI.
This XI has been in the global market since October and the Indian roads will have its pleasance by 2011. BMW’s smallest Sports Activity Vehicle is priced @Rs25-35 lakh with the right hand drive configuration. BMW’s decision in this regard is viewed as a bold one since its X3, X5 and X6 have already crossed over the SUV category.
Some time next year the enlarged version of X3 will roll on to meet the challenge from Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz’s latest SUV – GLK. BMW’s X3, a predecessor to X1, is fully loaded with latest features and interiors and it has moved into the bigger X5 containing roomier innards and frills. The price factor is also important- the all-wheel drive (xDrive) X3 is a CBU import and priced Rs40lakh(approximate). The entry level X1 sports rear wheel drive (sDrive) is fitted with 1.8 L gasoline engine. This version is globally available in various configurations of X1- 1.8L diesel, petrol, 2.0L.diesel, 2.3L diesel and 1.8L petrol.
BMW may sneak the entry of any of these versions since the market for premium cars is in good momentum in India. X3 and X5 have procured a good business for BMW- 100% in the period of April-October on year-on-year basis. Audi too had earned a good business with its Q5 and Q7, indicating that the potential for Rs20-30 lakh segment is excellent. The global carmakers yield tremendous growth mainly from the developing countries, especially India and China who contribute a combined 70%. The passion for shifting to bigger cars, from small cars, promises a lot to the car makers.