BMW Z4 to be launched on 14th of November in India

BMW's two seater sports car, the Z4, will be launched in it's all-new avatar on the 14th of November 2013. The new Z4 will feature minor updates to the sucessful two seater roadster with the aim to strengthen the aging platform's market relevance. With stunning GT looks featuring a long swooping bonnet and a short stubby tail, a metal folding roof that allows the driver the best of both worlds and a fantastic engine package under the bonnet, the Z4 is most certainly one of the best cars to come out of the BMW brand in recent years.

The Z4 in India will come in the sDrive35is guise but if rumors are to be believed, BMW will also launch the cheaper Z4 18i and Z4 20i to make the Z4 much more accessible to the Indian market. The 35i will feature a 3.0 Litre 6-cylinder twin-turbo engine producing 340PS and 400NM of torque. The Z4 18i features a 2.0 Litre turbocharged petrol engine making 156PS while the Z4 20i features a 2.0 Litre turbocharged petrol engine making 183Bhp. Expect the new Z4 to be launched at about Rs 70.0 Lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai). 

2014 BMW 2-series coupe revealed!

 

The 1-Series Coupe is dead. Please welcome its upgraded successor. Ahead of its official launch at the 2014 Detroit Motor Show, BMW revealed its stunning new and sportier looking BMW 2-series coupe for the International market.

The 2 Series retains the 1 Series' rear-wheel-drive layout and is available with most of the same engines as the hatchback. From launch, two petrol-engined versions will be available - the four-cylinder 220i and the six-cylinder M235i.

The 228i will pack a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 240 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Paired with the eight-speed automatic, it’ll make a 0-60 sprint in 5.4 seconds and onto a top speed of 130 mph. It will also achieve 23 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined.

A choice of four-cylinder diesel engines will be available: only the 220d will be on sale from launch, but the 218d and 225d will follow shortly after. A six-speed manual gearbox will be standard for all but the 225d - it gets the eight-speed auto that will be an option for all other models.

This new 2-Series coupe is based on the 1-Series hatchback but will definitely have more space, sportier looks and feel. At 4432mm in length, 1774mm in width and 1418mm in height, the 2-series is 72mm longer, 24mm wider and 7mm lower than the outgoing 1-series coupé.

The sportiest 2 is the M235i with a 322-hp and 332 lb-ft twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline six. The torque-y six will run the 2 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and onto a top speed of 155 mph. When not at full throttle, the M235i is rated at 19 mph city, 28 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined.

The BMW 2 Series Coupé goes on sale on March 8, 2014. It will ill be available in SE, Sport, Modern and M Sport trim, and a convertible version is expected to follow in summer.

2014 BMW 2 Series Coupé prices

220i SE - £25,040
220d SE - £25,865
M235i - £34,250

Jaguar Land Rover plans to take on Audi, BMW & Mercedes-Benz

With sleek sedans and tough off-roaders, Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was among the last international luxury car brands to hop on the gravy train and chug into India.

The German trio of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, which controls about 80 per cent of the domestic luxury car market, has already made India its home, flooding the market with almost everything sold by it internationally.

With nine models, JLR is one of the smaller luxury players in the country by volume. Mercedes-Benz has 13 models with 21 variants, followed by BMW with 11 models and 16 variants and Audi with 13 models. These include imported models too.

However, these volumes are driven by the locally-assembled models. In addition to the Jaguar XF, JLR also assembles the Land Rover Freelander 2 in Pune. Plans are afoot to increase the focus on its Pune plant and assemble more models there.

However, the idea for JLR is not to eke out huge numbers from the luxurious Jaguar F-Type. The model, instead, will act as the crowd-puller, showcasing Jaguar's engineering prowess and capabilities.

Rohit Suri, vice president, Jaguar & Land Rover India, says, "The Jaguar F-Type is going to enhance the appeal of the brand in India. It is going to be the halo-effect car for the brand."

Two variants of F-Type will be available in India: The F-Type S (top speed of 275kmph) and the F-Type V8S (top speed of 300kmph).

They are powered by the new 3.0 litre V6 supercharged petrol engine developing peak power of 380PS, and 5.0 litre V8 supercharged petrol engine producing 495PS, respectively.

The growth in the three-four years before last has been in the range of 40-50 per cent, but mellowed down last year due to trying economic conditions. It is expected that by 2020, the Indian car market will be among the top five in the world.

Audi vs. BMW vs. Mercedes-Benz

The competition between Germany's three big automakers in India has a new winner,it's the Audi India. After leading the Indian luxury car market for four straight years BMW has dropped to the third position, followed by Mercedes, which has also moved one place up.

The Indian automobile market is now filled with lot of premium car brands and credit for this goes majorly to the three top notch luxury brands i.e. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

It was Mercedes-Benz that first visited the Indian shores back in 1994. This premium German automobile brand had its dominance in Indian auto market for years but later on the arrival of BMW in India discontinued its monopoly.Compared to the Mercedes-Benz, BMW looked a fresh symbol of lavishness and it introduced many sizzling cars that made the enthusiasts crazy to buy them. In no time, the auto-maker left behind Mercedes-Benz and showed remarkable signs of progress. It was in 2007, when another German automobile manufacturer, Audi entered in the Indian auto-market. The company initially began with selling of SUVs and Sedans that fascinated many.

Now Indian automobile enthusiasts want premium vehicle that represents their standard. Thus, premium brand cars are now not just a status symbol, they have now become a sign of recognition. Despite the slowdown in the automobile industry for some time, the luxury car brands Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have consistently sold cars with decent figures.

Things, however, could easily change in the coming months due to introduction of new vehicles. Both the BMW and Mercedes-Benz are trying hard to mount up their sales figures and grab that top spot again,BMW has already introduced its 1 Series in India at Rs.20.90 lakhs and Mercedez has also launched its A Class at Rs.23.39 lakhs. However, Audi has also planned something to maintain its supremacy in the Indian market. It is looking forward to introduce the A3 Sedan in 2014 which would be a fierce competitor to the 1 Series and the A Class.