The luxury end of the Indian car market is bustling with premium carmakers coming up with all sorts of cars for the varied crowd. Not so long ago, Land Rover introduced all to the all-new generation models of its Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport, followed by Volvo with the facelifted XC60 and the S60.
Mercedes-Benz recently took the market by storm with the stunning new S-Class. Not wanting to be left out, BMW also is planning to set the market ablaze with newer models and upgraded versions of its existing range.
Trailing in the shadow of the competition, BMW India has lined up an aggressive new strategy now that the new financial year is looming. The brand has reportedly shifted its focus on localising its entire range of products sold here in the Indian market. Additionally, the company is also said to be eyeing the premium used car market in India.
Robert Frittrang, Managing Director of BMW’s manufacturing plant in Chennai, says, “Nearly 95% of cars sold in India are produced locally. As part our recent global strategy, BMW India has decided to produce more cars locally than import them as CBUs and sell them locally. To sustain and make profitable growth, and to be price-competitive, it’s wise to make cars locally without compromising on quality."
"We have drawn a strategy on country-specific products to attract a particular segment of customers, including in India...", he added.
As a part of its aggressive new strategy, BMW India will be launching the all-new X5 in the third quarter of this year. Now in its third generation, this all new iteration of the sport SUV promises to be lighter, more luxurious than ever. Design wise, the new X5 takes quite a bit of inspiration from the rest of the BMW range. The most prominent change is at the F30 3 Series inspired fascia, which looks much sharper than before. The rest of the exterior features a similar update, giving the SUV a more aggressive appearance. Inside, the new X5 is more spacious than before and the seating too is higher, says BMW.
For the global markets, the new X5 comes powered by a range of petrol and diesel engines including a V8 petrol, a 6-cylinder diesel and a tri-turbo 6-cylinder diesel engine. However, the India-spec X5 is likely to come with the sprightly yet efficient 3-litre, in-line six cylinder diesel engine mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Expected to be locally assembled at BMW India’s Chennai facility, the new X5 will go up against the Mercedes Benz M-Class which has been doing really good for Mercedes Benz India.
![BMW X5 [2012-2014] Image](https://imgd.aeplcdn.com/0x0/cw/static/oxygen/no-car-images.svg "BMW X5 [2012-2014] Image")
