Mercedes Benz is not the only carmaker to launch a premium luxury hatchback in the Indian market. Come September and BMW, too, will bring in the 1-Series to India. The luxury carmaker has made it official that it will launch the 1-Series in India on September 3, 2013.
The 1-Seires will be the smallest and the least expensive BMW when it goes on sale. The car will be available in both petrol and diesel engines. While in Europe, the 1-Seires can be had with a variety of engine options ranging from four cylinder petrol and diesel engine to high-performance straight six unit, BMW India is likely to offer the 1-Series with a 1.6-litre petrol and a 2-litre diesel engine.
The petrol variant will be the 118i and the 118d will be the diesel variant. The latter will use the same 2-litre diesel engine as the X1 however; it will come with a different state of tune. Both the engine will be paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox which will send power to the rear wheels.
Unlike the Mercedes Benz A-Class which is a front-wheel drive vehicle, the 1-Series with its rear-wheel drive configuration and perfect 50:50 weight distribution, promises to offer a much more rewarding experience on the road.
The 1-Seires will be imported via CKD route and then assembled at BMW’s Chennai facility. It is expected to carry a base price of around Rs 21 lakh, meaning it will be competing with the A-Class head-on.
