BMW will be launching the entry level 1-Series hatchback in India on 3rd September 2013. The car will be offered with only one petrol variant and three diesel variants. The 118d Baseline diesel will be priced at Rs. 22.90 lakhs and the range topping 118d Sports Line Plus diesel will retail at Rs. 29.93 (all prices ex-showroom, Mumbai, pre-octroi). The 118d Sport Line, which is the mid variant will be priced somewhere in between. The entry level 116i petrol variant will come with the Baseline trim only, which will be priced around Rs. 21 lakhs.
Pre-booking of the BMW 1-Series have already started and the carmaker is offering complimentary BMW Service Inclusive Plus for the first 100 owners of the 1-Series. The 118d variant features a 2.0-litre TwinPower turbo diesel motor that produces 143 BHP of power and 320 Nm of torque, returning an ARAI certified fuel economy of 20.58 km/l. This 2.0-litre oil burner also powers other BMW models such as the X1, 3-Series and 5-Series but in a higher state of tune. The 116i features a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol motor with direct injection that produces 136 BHP of power and 220 Nm of torque, offering a claimed mileage of 16.28 km/l. BMW also shares this petrol motor with MINI hatchbacks.
Both the petrol and diesel engines on the BMW 1-Series are coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission along with start/stop technology to boost fuel economy. The hatchback has a longitudinal engine setup with a rear wheel drive layout and 50:50 weight distribution. The 1-Series is being assembled locally in India at the automaker’s Chennai plant. It will compete with the likes of entry level premium cars such as Mercedes A-Class and Audi Q3 Sport. Within 10 days of the A-Class’ launch, Mercedes gathered 400 bookings, while Audi received 125 bookings for the Q3 Sport on the very first day of launch.
