The 2013 Mini Cooper range of sporty
hatchbacks will now get a more conventional speedometer instead of the
current dashboard design of mounting the speedometer centrally. The main
reason for the central mounting of the speedometer being done away with
is due to safety concerns. The central mounting of the speedometer is
said to be distracting to the driver, which could possibly cause
accidents. So, the current Mini range come with a digital speedometer in
the conventional position along with th centrally mounted analog unit.
However, the 2013 models of the Mini Cooper range will feature the
speedometer behind the steering wheel.
Also, the facelifted models of the Mini
range will get an iDrive type controller seen on BMW cars. The stop
start button gets repositioned too. The Mini range of sporty hatchbacks
have gone on sale in the Indian market from earlier this year. BMW India
launched the Mini range of hatchbacks at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo,
after which the cars began selling in Delhi. Now, the cars are also
available in Mumbai. In the coming years, BMW plans to expand the Mini
dealership range in India to other Indian cities depending upon the
demand.
Currently, the entire Indian range of
Mini cars are imported as completely built units(CBU), a reason for the
steep asking price for these iconic hatchbacks. However, if demand perks
up, BMW India might consider assembling the Mini range in India through
completely knocked down(CKD) kits. If that happens, BMW will be able to
price the Mini range much more lower down the pricing spectrum, thus
allowing volumes to build up. Currently, the Mini competes with the
likes of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Fiat 500, but sells much more
than both these cars, which are slow sellers as they’re primarily
positioned as brand builders for their respective brands.
2012 BMW Mini Cooper S at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo
Mini has managed to sell over 50 cars in
India in the last six months. The four cars in Mini’s Indian range are
the Cooper, the Cooper S, the Convertible and the Countryman. Of these,
the most practical option, albeit the most expensive one at INR 32 lakhs
ex-showroom Delhi, for the Indian market is the Mini Countryman, which
comes with four doors and which is a genuine four seater. While the
Cooper and Convertible models feature a 1.6 Liter, 122 Bhp petrol
engine, the Cooper S and Countryman get the turbocharged version of the
same engine delivering 184 Bhp. All four cars come with a six speed
automatic transmission.
Courtesy: Autocar.co.uk
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