German luxury brand BMW has introduced its sub-brand `i’ in India with the launch of the i8 today.
Priced at Rs 2.29 crore (ex showroom), the first plug-in hybrid vehicle from the sub-brand will be sold as a fully built car in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai.
Combining the benefits of an electric motor and a petrol engine, the electric drive of the i8 is a 96 kW lithium-ion battery located on the front wheel.
The rear axle is driven by BMW twin power turbo 1.5 litre three cylinder petrol engine with 170 kW of peak performance.
Together the two units deliver a total of 362 hp, helping the car achieve 0 to 100 kmph in 4.4 seconds.
Running on battery power it achieves a top speed of 120 km and has a maximum range of 35 km.