BMW launches 6 Series Convertible in India

BMW on Friday launched its luxury car 6 Series Convertible 650i in India, priced at Rs95 lakh (ex-showroom). The luxury car will be available in petrol version as completely built-up unit (CBU).

''The new BMW 6 Series Convertible with its breathtaking aesthetics is the perfect vehicle for an exclusive lifestyle,'' said Andreas Schaaf, president, BMW India.

The BMW 650i comes with an eight-speed sports automatic transmission and a 4.4-litre V8 engine with TwinPower turbo technology, which delivers 407 hp and a maximum torque of 600 Nm. The car accelerates to 100 km per hour in just five seconds with a top speed of 250 km/hr.

About BMW's future plans, Schaaf said, ''We are stepping up investment in India. In the next two years, we will increase our investment to Rs180 crore from the existing Rs110 crore in the country,'' he added.

The company had recently acquired additional land to enhance the size of its facility in Chennai to 40 acres, up from 22 acres. It also has hiked its production capacity to 10,000 units from 8,000 units.

As part of its expansion plans, BMW India will also double its dealerships to 40 from 20 by 2012.

''In the next 10 years, India's luxury car market is expected to grow ten times to up to 1.5 lakh units. We will certainly enjoy 35-40 per cent of the market by then,'' Schaff said. In 2010, the company had sold 6,426 units, a 40 per cent share of the luxury car market that stood around 15,000 units.

BMW India also announced the launch of its SUV X3 this year as a completely knocked down (CKD) unit from its Chennai facility.