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BMW India to assemble 3 Series GT from 2014

BMW India will infuse an additional 210 crore rupees into its Chennai factory in order to expand production. The expanded production, which will take BMW India's installed capacity to 14,000 cars/year, will include an assembly line for the 3-Series GT, a car that will be launched here in 2014. The 3-Series GT is a more spacious variant of the F10 3-Series range and the new car will sit between the 3-Series and 5-Series BMW saloons that the German luxury car maker sells in India.

The BMW 3-Series GT is likely to be made available only with turbo diesel engines given the Indian luxury car buyers' penchant for diesel engined cars. CKD assembly of the BMW 3-Series GT is likely to keep the car relatively affordable, with the car's price sandwiched between those of the 3-Series and 5-Series saloons. Earlier reports suggested that BMW India was looking at the CBU import route for the 3-Series GT, a move that would have made the car quite expensive, rivaling the 5-Series in terms of pricing. 

BMW is also considering the launch of the i3 electric and the i8 hybrid cars in India. While the i3 is an all-electric car and one that was launched internationally earlier this year, the i8 Hybrid is a sportscar that uses a 1.5 liter, turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor to make for high performance. The i8, unveiled at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show, will go on sale internationally next year. Both cars, if green lighted for India, are likely to be imported through the completely built unit (CBU) route as the sales numbers will be too low to justify local assembly. These cars will serve as showcases of BMW's electric and hybrid vehicle technology, and function primarily as brand builders. 

While the Indian government has formulated a National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020, in order to encourage the manufacture and sales of electric and hybrid cars to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels, the subsidies promised under this plan are yet to take off. So, until the government takes positive steps on the subsidy structure, car makers such as BMW and Toyota might sit on the fence before introducing their high performance electric and hybrid cars. 

Source TheEconomicTimes

 
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