VW, BMW ready to cross swords with their own premium hatchbacks
Two new premium hatchbacks were introduced to the public this season at the 2012 Auto Expo. It goes without saying that this segment is scantiest of all with just two hatchbacks rivalling between themselves the all new Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500. But not many didn’t even try to touch the hatchbacks with a barge pole not finding the cars quite intandem with the budget price they were looking for. Despite the unfavourable conditions, our quite well-informed BMW India dared to take the risk and launched their iconic Mini brand in India. As if Volkswagen India did get an inkling on BMW’s move, came up with the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle with just what the consumers would like to see.
BMW Mini Cooper: Brand and looks go hand in hand for BMW Mini Cooper. The exciting body lines and the established brand image in the European markets are enough to set the ball rolling for the Mini brand in India. The 1.5 L petrol pumping out 122 Bhp top power is enough for the Indian car market, but all the same the craving for the diesel engine is not unobserved even in the luxury car segment. Offered with both the manual and automatic gearbox as an option, the BMW Mini is definitely worth every penny we shell out for the iconic car which works wonders for the owner’s image with the BMW Mini price of Rs
24.99 lakh.
2012 Volkswagen Beetle: While the biggest plus for the Mini Cooper is the fresh appeal and newness factor, 2012 Volkswagen Beetle’s longer presence in the domestic car market removes the charm out of the equation. The cute appeal did manage to garner the onlooker’s attention but the lack of diesel engine was a turn-off for many especially considering the price factor. But, all that was in the past. Now, the 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is a true dream car of the rich with both options of a new 1.4 L diesel engine while it continues to house a 2.0 L petrol engine well mated with a 7-speed automatic gearbox and just too perfect to score above BMW Mini. With 2012 Volkswagen Beetle priced at around Rs 23 lakh, the beetle-shaped car definitely is something BMW India has to watch out for.