While it may not be the best of news for the team marketing the Beetle, it is definitely time for die-hard Mini fans to rejoice. BMW recently announced that various models of Mini Cooper will hit Indian roads by May this year. BMW earlier showcased this little stunner at the Indian Car Expo in January 2012. Incidentally, India is the 100th market for this iconic car.
The company announced the opening of the first exclusive Mini showroom, Infinity Cars, in Mumbai on Linking Road. The showroom will have a 24 hour restaurant with music and a 5 car display. BMW plans to open 2 more showrooms in Delhi followed by Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Bangalore. The showrooms of Delhi are in the pipeline while the rest are likely to come up in the later part of 2012. While other BMW variants like the 3 series, 5 series, X1 and X3 are assembled domestically, the German luxury car maker plans to import the Minis from its facility in Oxford, UK.
So how much will the Mini Cooper cost in India?
The ex-showroom pricing of the Mini will range from Rs. 25 lakh to 36 lakh depending on the model and the variant. Needless to say, these prices are ex-showroom. For the moment, BMW plans to bring the following models to India.
- MINI Cooper
- MINI Cooper S (sporty)
- MINI Cooper S Countryman
- MINI Cooper S Countryman High
- MINI Cooper Convertible
Any Mini fan will tell you that the Mini Cooper is much more than a car. The emotional attachment that fans have to the brand is similar to that of a biker in India going gaga about the Royal Enfield. The car has a very urban feel to it and oozes a modern design that packs a punch even from a performance perspective.
Zigwheels reported that the Mini Cooper and Mini Cooper Convertible models are built and designed to easily hit 190 km/hr while the Cooper S can very well do speeds in excess of 220 km/hr. It is being claimed that all the variants hitting Indian shores will have efficient petrol engines with a 6 speed transmission.
Given its iconic status, BMW needs to do very little to sell the car. On unveiling the company’s plans regarding this premium small car in India, Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW India said, "MINI expresses a whole generation’s approach to life – it is extrovert, open and full of zest in life. No other brand exhibits the attributes and essence of a modern urban lifestyle like MINI and there is no doubt that it is one of the world’s most emotional auto brands."
What do you think? How will Mini Copper fare in India?