BMW is to start assembling its Mini Countryman at its plant in Chennai, India, later this year.
Local assembly starts a year after Mini sales began in India and “will help to meet the steadily increasing demand for cars in the Indian market”, BMW said.
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Translation: it will reduce the punitive taxes applied to fully imported cars and make pricing more competitive.
Cooper D and the One versions will be produced. So far, Countrymen have been assembled under contract by Magna Steyr in Austria.
BMW has operated its own sales company in India since 2007. At the start of 2012, the first five Mini showrooms were opened in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Between March and December 2012, 302 units were sold.
BMW’s Chennai plant was built in March 2007 and has since assembled the 3 and 5 series, X1 and X3 models.
The 13,000 sq mfactory is in the Mahindra World City business zone in the southwest of India, roughly 40km (25 miles) northwest of Chennai.
