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German luxury car maker BMW on Thursday launched the all-new BMW X5 — the fourth generation of the model — in India. The locally produced Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV), unveiled by Sachin Tendulkar, will have two diesel models and one petrol model.
The diesel models are available now at BMW dealerships, whereas the petrol model will be available later in 2019. The diesel models — BMW X5 xDrive30d Sport and BMW X5 xDrive30d xLine — are priced at ₹72,90,000 and ₹82,40,000 respectively. The petrol model, BMW X5 xDrive40i M Sport, will be available at ₹82,40,000.
“All SAV and SAC (Sports Activity Coupe) vehicles combined represent roughly 50 per cent of our portfolio in India, and the X5 is the core model of this segment. It will be very important for us going forward,” Hans-Christian Baertels, President (act), BMW Group India told BusinessLine.
He said that the new X5 will have greater leg-room and head-room, and that the rear seat will have ample space. Hence it is a “ a really grown up car”.
“The new car has improved in every dimension, and also holds basically all of the technical features that we have right now,” he added.
Tracking growth
The overall volumes of luxury cars are estimated to have totalled 40,688 units in 2018, up barely 3 per cent from calendar year 2017’s 38,989 units, according to Auto Car.
But, Baertels said that it was an excellent year for BMW, with the GT, SAV and SAC models “adding quality to this entire market”, and that this momentum has been successfully carried forward to 2019.
BMW Group India sold 11,105 vehicles (including the MINI), registering a year-on-year growth of 13 per cent in the calendar year 2018, compared to 2017.
BMW had also reported its highest-ever first quarter sales of 2,982 units in India for the the January-March period in 2019.
But, sales in the auto sector has been plummeting across all segments in the month of April.
On how BMW plans to ensure growth, he said, “We try to look at what aspirational customers might look for and bring these models to India. India will go on a journey that we have seen in other markets already. Once the environment is a little more favourable, things would happen by itself.”
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