BMW has announced plans to assemble its 1 series hatchback at Chennai in India by the end of next year.
The carmaker will also begin local assembly of its flagship 7-series by the middle of next year and start on the updated X1 SUV in January, Philipp von Sahr, president, BMW India, told The Hindu Business Line. BMW 1s and 7s are currently imported fully assembled while 3s, 5s, X1s and X3s are assembled locally.
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BMW has also launched the 6 series Gran Coupe in diesel form as a built-up model.
The company’s CKD product range will cover all opportunities relevant to it, Sahr said. It is adding dealerships and will close this year with 40, up from 27 currently.
“(This year), an unprecedented price war was witnessed,” Sahr said, adding that BMW will stand its ground and refuse to be drawn in. Having sold 7,389 units from January-October, the company expects to exceed last year’s tally of 9,371 units by the end of December.
Prices of all models will rise from January.
Inspired by the idea of an object cutting straight through liquid medium and imagining the lines and forms that would be created in the process, the new BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe has an elongated profile, a long wheelbase and extended bonnet.
Its features include TwinPower Turbo diesel engine, eight-speed sport automatic transmission with Cruise Control, and a top speed of 250 km/hour.
