BMW X3 Launch into India on August 25th

The BMW X3 will launch into India on the August 25th.The long awaited Crossover SUV will face tough competition from the Audi Q5 and the upcoming Mercedes Benz GLK. The new BMW X3 brings with it a change in matter of design, apart from the current model, which gives it a bully look, resembling a bit with its bigger brother, the X5.

BMW India will be able to set a very competitive price for the X3, offering the SUV on the market for INR 42.2 Lakhs (about USD94,900 at the current exchange rate). Indian customers will be glad to hear they will be able to choose from both petrol and diesel versions.

The petrol engine variant will be the xDrive25i, featuring a 2.5 liter petrol engine producing about 206hp and 246 Nm (181 lb.ft.) of torque, allowing the BMW X3 to reach for a maximum speed of 210 km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint of under 10 seconds. Meantime, the diesel xDrive20d model feature a 2-liter, turbo diesel engine producing 176 hp and 350 Nm (258 lb.ft.) of torque, capable of reaching a top speed of 200 km/h, and 0-100 km/h sprint timing in less than 10 seconds. This variant is expected to be the main driver in matter of volume sales for the new BMW X3.

Renault India plans to launch the Koleos SUV by 2012

Renault India plans to launch the Koleos SUV by the end of this year, besides three more cars in 2012, which will also include a small hatchback, a top company official said today.

The Koleos SUV model will be launched in the segment below Rs 20-lakh, where it will compete with cars likes Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Captiva, Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner.

"By 2013, we are eyeing a market share of 2.5%, and five per cent in the long term. During phase one, we will open exclusive dealerships in 14 cities to cover around 55% of the market.

"During phase two, we will be present in 30 top cities to cover around 70% of the market and by 2012, our dealerships will be present in 75 cities in India to cover 89% of the market with 100 dealerships," Renault India's Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) Len Curran said on the sidelines of launching Fluence, its luxury sedan.

The Renault Fluence has been launched in India, in both petrol and diesel versions. The petrol version comes with a 2.0 litre engine couples with a CVT automatic gear box, while the diesel version has a 1.5 litre engine matched to a six speed manual gear box.