BMW India may introduce more vehicles based on the 1 Series in the future

“BMW India sees great potential for the compact executive segment in the Indian market and may introduce more models based on the 1 Series for the Indian market,” said Philipp Von Sahr, president of BMW India during the launch of the facelifted 5 Series in Delhi yesterday.

In an interview with CarWale during the launch of the facelifted BMW 5 Series, he said that the 1 Series was aimed at bringing buyers who were looking to upgrade from mass manufacturers to a premium brand for the first time. The Mercedes-Benz A-Class has been a major success for BMW’s main rival in the Indian premium car market and it is likely that this will be a future trend among the premium manufacturers.

The launch saw the 5 Series only being introduced in diesel variants and is the second car after the X1 crossover in the Bavarian manufacturer’s line-up to take this path. Von Sahr said that such a move was in response to market demand but added that the petrol models would still be available for those who want to purchase them.

He also said that in the current situation, diesels constituted 90 per cent of their total sales while the petrol models constituted the other 10 per cent. However, Sahr said that their Chennai plant had flexible assembly lines and has the capability to produce cars as per the market trend.

The Chennai plant currently produces six BMW models and one Mini model and is the only BMW plant in the world to do so. The German automaker is currently spending Rs 390 crore to expand the plant and will locally produce more models in the future, the first of which is expected to be the 3 Series GT.  

Von Sahr refused to speculate on BMW's financial projections for the coming year and added that he expected the situation to change only in the long term. He said that 2013 had been a tough year, with them having to raise their prices twice to maintain profitability. Despite the tough conditions, they decided to go ahead with their expansion plans as they saw great potential in the Indian market. Their major performers for 2013 are expected to be the 3 Series and the 5 Series sedans.

Finally commenting on the recently introduced M Performance Accessories, he said that the decision to introduce them in India was based on market demand and to further add value to their offerings.