Frankfurt, Sept. 17: The BMW Mini is arriving in India next year. The models will sport an entry price tag of Rs 23 lakh and be formally launched at the Delhi Auto Expo 2012. “We are introducing the Mini in India to build our brand image,†said Harald Kruger, member of the board of management, BMW Group, at the 64th IAA Frankfurt Motor Show 2011. To begin with, the company will launch the Mini One, the original two-door hardtop hatchback, and the convertible Mini Cooper. Later, it will introduce the Clubman (estate) and the crossover Countryman, which being four-door vehicles, might find more favour among Indian customers. All Mini vehicles will be available as CBUs in India, attracting a 102 per cent import duty. “We are not looking at numbers. Our priority is to build and strengthen the brand in India,†said Kruger. The models will retail at an entry price of Rs 23 lakh, said a BMW India spokesperson. Bookings for Mini will start next year. Speaking to The Telegraph, Kruger sketched out the possible customer profile for the Mini. “A lot of Indians who have studied abroad are familiar with the brand. They are our potential customers... they perhaps drove the Mini when they were abroad and will miss it when they are back in India. While Mini in the rest of the world is an ageless brand, in India, we think it will have a huge potential for the young people,†he said. The Mini is a very versatile marquee. “It can be driven for an evening dinner out or to a sports event or as a city runabout,†said Kruger. BMW will have a separate distribution channel and exclusive dealerships for the Mini. “We will first enter the northern and western markets,†said Kruger. Source - BMW Mini party next year
They are spreading too thin. Mini can't even keep up with demand in the U.S.A and they are expanding? My Mail girl could not buy a mini off the lot because the dealers were totally out of automatic transmission mini's. She needed a car now so she ended up with a Honda. The dealer had a couple of fully loaded new mini's but with manual transmissions. Mini will end up like most factories producing crap cars because of greed and trying to build them faster then the employee's can put them together. It's just a stupid idea trying to expand unless they are planing to open another factory someplace so they can keep the quality up.:confused5:
The interesting part of the puzzle is how does a site such as this handle potential new members from the area. Spam registration reports show that a large majority is generated from the spammer mills in India, China, Pakistan and Nigeria. Being MINI's are not sold in Pakistan and Nigeria it is easy to just block all registration attempts from IP's based in those areas. With MINI now selling in China and India that total block mentality will need to change if we are to embrace owners from those areas. It's going to be a real balancing act to keep the spam at bay while trying to let the legitimate MINI owners participate.
You've got to hope that they won't make 17" wheels and sport suspension an available option in India - it is 15 years since I was last there, but they have some properly rough roads. To quote a colleague as we drove down a road through the docks in Kolkata: "it gets quite dark at the bottom of these potholes, doesn't it?".