BMW makes its Debut in the Roadster Segment in India with the Launch of the New BMW Z4

The new BMW Z4 represents the re-birth of the roadster – powerful and stylish with a modern interpretation. It is the only vehicle in this segment to combine classic roadster proportions with a seating position close to the rear axle, rear-wheel drive and a fully-automatic retractable hardtop. Driving with the roof down, this two-seater offers a refreshingly intense experience of the sunshine and the wind rushing by – and driving with the hardtop closed, it provides all the comfort of a Premium Sports Coupé. The appeal of this two-seater lies in its unique combination of elegance, agility, and supreme comfort.

The new BMW Z4 will be available in the petrol variant – BMW Z4 sDrive35i – and will be available across India at an ex-showroom price of INR 59,00,000 (Ex-showroom price excludes RTO registration charges, tax, insurance, handling charges; Octroi and entry tax if applicable).

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Peter Kronschnabl, President, BMW India said, “The BMW Z4 outlines an expression of joy which epitomizes the qualities of the BMW brand by combining the ultimate driving experience with maximum sporting potential and distinctive design. More than anything the new BMW Z4 is an expression of sheer driving pleasure. With the new BMW Z4, we want to reach out to new target groups in India who appreciate a pure driving experience, high standards of elegance and value, and suitability for everyday driving and comfort.”

Superior style, sophistication and quality, the new BMW Z4 will be available in a range of six paint finishes (Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Deep Sea Blue, Orion Silver, Space Grey, and Titanium Silver) and three upholstery designs (Leather Kansas Black, Leather Kansas Canberra Beige, and Leather Kansas Coral Red).

The new BMW Z4 also comes with the optional Design Pure White package, that features the finest Nappa leather in Ivory White and door inserts in Alcantara. In addition to the six standard exterior colours, Havanna Brown paintwork is also available exclusively in conjunction with the Design Pure White trim, which brings the unique character of the new BMW Z4 Roadster to the fore.

The new BMW Z4

The contemporary styling of the new BMW Z4 Roadster, with its flattened, athletic-looking rear, wide track and flared wheel arches ensures the car is immediately recognizable on the road, and emphasizes its power. The long bonnet slopes slightly downwards to the upright kidney grille, giving it a dynamic sense of purpose even when stationary. The styling of the new BMW Z4 Roadster is a visual expression of what the car is capable of – which is just how a roadster should be.

With a long bonnet, low, set-back seating position and low belt line, the new BMW Z4 is the only car to combine classic roadster proportions with a retractable hardtop. When the roof is up, its coupé-style lines and the unmistakable BMW Hofmeister kink give the new BMW Z4 Roadster an elegant look. When it is down, the hardtop integrates seamlessly into the flattened, gently sloping rear, so you’d hardly know it’s even there. The two-part retractable roof features a lightweight, aluminium shell design, and opens and closes in approximately 20 seconds.

The six-cylinder in-line petrol engine has a capacity of three litres, and features Twin Turbo technology, High Precision Injection and an all-aluminium crankcase.

The BMW Z4 sDrive35i has a newly developed seven-speed sports automatic transmission, featuring double-clutch technology with which it accelerates to 100 km/h within just 5.1 seconds with a maximum output of 225 kW/306 hp at 5,800 rpm. This supreme performance then continues all the way to 250 km/h where the speed of the car is limited by electronic control.

The new BMW Z4 is the only vehicle on the market today that fully embodies the roadster concept while offering strikingly stylish design. The BMW Z4 has succeeded in delivering an unheard-of level of comfort and functionality for a vehicle of this class, creating a dream car that combines a high level of practicality with a driving experience which no competitor even comes close to.

BMW India

Headquartered in Gurgaon (National Capital Region) BMW India is a 100% subsidiary of the BMW Group. The initial investment in India is 1.1 billion Indian Rupees.

The wide range of BMW activities in India include the establishment of a production plant in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and development of a dealer organisation across major metropolitan centres of the country.

In medium term, BMW India has employed around 200 people; up to 600 additional jobs have been created in the dealer and service network.

The BMW Plant Chennai produces the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series Sedans in petrol and diesel variants and has a capacity to produce 3000 units per year on a single shift basis.

Presently, BMW India is present at 16 locations in the Indian market; BMW Studio (New Delhi), Deutschen Motoren (New Delhi), Deutschen Motoren (West Delhi), Bird Automotive (Gurgaon, NCR), Navnit Motors (Mumbai), Infinity Cars (South Mumbai), Krishna Automobiles (Chandigarh), Navnit Motors (Bangalore), Delta Motors (Hyderabad), Kun Exclusive (Chennai), Bavaria Motors (Pune), OSL Prestige (Kolkata), Parsoli Motors (Ahmedabad), Platino Classic (Kochi), Kun Exclusive (Coimbatore) and Sanghi Classic (Jaipur).

BMW dealerships presently display the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series that are produced at the BMW Plant Chennai. BMW dealerships also display the BMW 6 Series, BMW 7 Series, BMW X3, the BMW X5, BMW X6 and the BMW Z4 which are available in the country as CBU’s (completely built-up units). The BMW M Cars, BMW 6 Series Individual and BMW 7 Series Individual can also be ordered as CBU’s at BMW India dealerships.

Fiat India launches luxury sedan Linea at Jalandhar

Fiat India Automobiles (FIA) on Saturday launched its luxury sedan Linea here and announced plans to introduce two hatchbacks Grande Punto ( B segment car) and Bravo in the Indian car market this year.

The petrol versions of Linea are priced between Rs. 5.98 lakh and Rs. 6.98 lakh, while the diesel variants are priced between Rs. 6.88 lakh and Rs. 8.10 lakh, Tarun Khanna, head-Marketing said while launching the car here.

"The launch of the Linea is first in the line of three launches that Fiat will undertake this year, the other two being Bravo and Grande Punto. With this car, we hope to make inroads in the C plus segment", Khanna added.

"The car has met with strong success across the world and although Linea has been designed with a strong Italian style, we have also taken into consideration local Indian taste and requirements and have incorporated this into the Indian Linea," he said adding that both petrol and diesel versions of Linea have three variants each.

Claiming that 'fully integrated robotised engine' (FIRE) would power the petrol version of the Linea, and the diesel version is equipped with the advanced new generation multi-jet engine, Khanna said that the car would be retailed through a select 70 Tata-Fiat dealer outlets.

"We will buy auto parts worth 250 million euro from the country by next year for its European operations. We will start deliveries from this year and by next year we will be sourcing components for car and other divisions," he added.

"Carnation Auto"- India's first independent multi brand auto sales & service venture

Former MD of Maruti Suzuki, Mr. Jagdish Khattar today announced his next venture - Carnation Auto. With a vision of developing India's largest independent multi-brand automobile sales and service network, he also announced the company's first round of funding of over Rs.100 crore from marquee names in the industry such as PremjiInvest and IFCI Ventures.

New car sales are projected to be 3 million and the car park 19 million by 2015. To meet the needs of these customers, an incremental investment of Rs.12,000 to Rs.15,000 crores is required in the network, which would be challenging in the existing franchise model. Upto 60-70% of car owners go outside of the manufactures network post warranty. Carnation would provide an alternative to these customers as well as families owning multiple brands, fleet owners and corporates- all under one roof.

"Our Auto Solution Hubs will provide everything a car owner would need to maximize his ownership experience." Elaborating on his vision for Carnation Auto, Mr. Khattar said, "The multi-brand concept will allow us to provide automobile manufacturers, especially new entrants and those with limited market share, small car park & capacity constraints, a more efficient route-to-market through faster nation wide retail presence, scale efficiencies and servicing support."

According to Mr. Khattar, initially the company will focus on providing service, mechanical repair and body shop solutions across its facilities. The service and parts markets is valued at just under Rs.15,000 crores. Carnation's pioneering venture of setting up a chain of auto solution hubs across the country is in an advance stage of its execution plan. Carnation plans to launch its service and sales network in 100 locations across 65 cities throughout India over the next 5 years. The first few Auto Solution Hubs would be operational early next year, which will include Delhi NCR, Hyderabad and Cochin. The total investment in the project is estimated to be Rs. 1,000 Crores.



In an effort to provide complete auto care solutions to its customers under one roof, Carnation is tying up with leading value added product and service providers for tyres, batteries, car detailing, accessorizing, CNG/LPG fitment and windshield replacement among other things. Carnation will subsequently also develop multi-brand facilities to retail new and pre-owned vehicles. The company is adopting world-class technology, equipment and IT systems to implement transparency and to enhance service quality in the entire automotive sales and service processes. Carnation is in advanced discussions with some leading automobile manufacturers for strategic partnerships with an objective of meeting the service needs of their customers.

PremjiInvest, a fund sponsored by Mr. Azim Premji, has committed to invest Rs. 80 crore to acquire a significant minority stake in the company. Mr. Prakash Parthasarathy, Chief Investment Officer, PremjiInvest, said, "Carnation is addressing several changing needs in the manufacturer- to-buyer relationship through a scalable business model. Mr. Khattar is a visionary who can rewrite the auto industry landscape again - this time in the services chain. We are excited to support the accomplished management team under his leadership and look forward to working together in creating a world class organization." Mr. Prakash Parthasarathy and Mr. Syed Mustafa of PremjiInvest would join the Board of Directors of Carnation Auto.

IFCI Ventures is also investing Rs.28 Crore. " Carnation's plan to set up the country's first multi-brand car sales and service network is a unique business proposition and will fill the gap in this underserved market," said Mr. A.K.Choudhary, Managing Director of IFCI Venture Funds, " Mr. Khattar brings with him tremendous experience, and under his leadership Carnation will strive to achieve the highest standards of customer satisfaction."

Carnation Auto is creating Joint Ventures in some key states with those who have the capability of running successful automobile dealerships in their areas. This would provide Carnation Auto with not only critical local insights but also help in an accelerated roll out of its operations. Mr. Khattar announced that the company has two Joint Venture partners already on board and is in discussions with various others.

To support its service and sales model, Carnation Auto has a wholly owned subsidiary in the infrastructure space, Carnation Realty, which will focus on investing in the acquisition of key properties for the parent company. Carnation Realty will also work on developing and executing new concepts for auto solution hubs, multi-brand showrooms and auto cities. Carnation Realty is in discussions with real estate firms to jointly develop these concepts.

Carnation is planning to set up an Automotive Training Institute, to train automotive technicians, sales and support personnel for the industry. According to the Automotive Mission Plan, the automobile industry will need close to 22 million trained (skilled and semi skilled) manpower by 2016. There is a need for an organized approach to train this manpower for this leading industry. Carnation plans to work closely with government, OEM's and other industry bodies, bringing together best practices with the latest technology to create an industry ready manpower pool for the automobile industry.

Talking about the brand Mr. Khattar said that the Company is named after one of the most popular flowers. Carnation Auto wants to imbibe its qualities of being warm, friendly and inviting. The identity too is built around the essence of the flower but turned around into a graphic rendition to give a vibrant and spirited feel to the brand. The logo contains different shades, which represent different promises to their customers. The representation of a "bouquet" represents a total and comprehensive set of services they plan on providing to their customers to give them a unique ownership experience.



"Carnation Auto is an initiative by Mr. Jagdish Khattar, which is in the process of setting up a state-of-the-art network of integrated multi-brand auto sales, services and related solutions across the country-an industry consolidator attempting to bring automobile dealerships under a standardized business model. It will provide automobile manufacturers, especially those with a limited market share, or those looking for a pan-India footprint but don't have the volumes to sustain stand alone dealerships & other capacity constraints, a more efficient route-to-market through faster nation wide retail presence, scale efficiencies and servicing support. Providing them dedicated outlets within the Carnation network resulting in higher revenues through cross-selling across business lines (new cars, servicing, used cars, accessories, financial and insurance products, auto leasing). "