BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid luxury saloon to launch in June in India

The BMW X5 has just been launched in India and the luxury SUV will soon be joined in by the BMW 7-Series ActiveHybrid long wheelbase saloon in the month of June. The hybrid luxury saloon will be the first hybrid vehicle from BMW India and will be a one-of-its-kind vehicle in its segment. The 7-Series ActiveHybrid saloon is expected to come with a price tag of around Rs. 1.5 crores (ex-showroom Delhi), making it one of the most expensive cars that BMW has on sale in India.

The hybrid saloon’s electric motor is primarily meant to serve as an ancillary unit to the 3 liter petrol powered, twin turbocharged, 6 cylinder inline engine. The electric motor has a  power output of 55 Bhp and a peak torque of 210 Nm and there won’t be an all electric driving mode too. What you’ll instead get is electric power coupled to the  petrol motor’s 320 Bhp-450 Nm power and torque outputs.

The 7-Series ActiveHybrid can go from standstill to 100 Kph in just 5.7 seconds before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 250 kmph. The car has been rated to achieve a fuel efficiency of 14.7 kmpl in the European driving cycle. In that light, expect the hybrid car to return 10-11 kmpl for India, which is fantastic for a luxury saloon of the 7-Series’ girth. Due to its hybrid form, the luxury saloon keeps a tight tab of tail pipe emissions, with a 158 grams of CO2 emitted per kilometer.

The ActiveHybrid variant of the BMW 7’er will be positioned below the top of the line 760i performance centric variant and will be meant to highlight BMW’s environment consciousness rather than bringing in volumes for the German luxury car maker. The BMW i8, which is a hybrid sports car, will join the sedan later this year. With BMW leading the hybrid charge in the luxury car segment, expect competitors to take note and come out with their own hybrid car models.

Source: Motoring