Mumbai: BMW on Wednesday introduced its new sub-brand BMWi and launched its hybrid sports car i8 in India. The vehicle was unveiled by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar at glamorous event at National Sports Centre here.
The BMW i8, which was launched in 2011 as concept car, will be shipped as CBUs (Completely Built Unit). It will be available at BMW i dealerships in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai with a price tag of Rs 2.29 crore (ex showroom).
The high-performance plug-in hybrid burns more adrenaline than fuel with revolutionary BMW eDrive system, innovative LifeDrive Architecture and latest BMW EfficientDynamics technologies.
CEO of BMW India Philip Von Sahr said: “The world we live in is changing and a changing world constantly demands new ideas. The global automotive industry is witnessing a paradigm shift from the conventional combustion engine to sustainable mobility solutions. And, so is India. This iconic change is inevitable. At BMW, we are constantly working to create cutting-edge mobility solutions for the future. We will spearhead this revolution with BMW i – a ground-breaking concept for sustainable mobility and a new understanding of what premium means – strongly defined by sustainability.”
Under the hood, the BMW i8 has a 1.5 litre three cylinder twin scroll turbo engine which is mated with a high performance lithium-ion battery. Together the power mills will produces 362 bhp. The car could achieve 0-100 kmph in 4.4 seconds, claims BMW.
Yorked by i8's features and styling, Master Blaster was all praise for the German carmaker. "BMW has indeed made the impossible possible," said Sachin.