BMW India launches ActiveHybrid 7 at Rs 1.35 crore

BMW India has launched the ActiveHybrid 7 priced at Rs 1.35 crore (ex-showroom, pan-India) at Bird Automotive, the BMW dealership in Gurgaon, today. The first full-size luxury hybrid sedan to hit in our shores uses an electric-petrol hybrid powertrain. The BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is powered by an in-line six-cylinder 2979cc turbo petrol engine that develops 315bhp at 5800rpm and 450Nm at 1300–4500rpm. The electric motor supported by a lithium-ion high-performance battery, will develop 54bhp for an extra boost. The hybrid system is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and a separating clutch disengages the combustion engine during full electric drive mode. In electric-only mode, without any help from the petrol engine, the ActiveHybrid 7 has a range of only 4km and can reach a top speed of 60kmph. The hybrid powertrain pushes the ActiveHybrid 7 from stand still to 100kmph in just 5.7 seconds and has an electronically limited top whack of 250kmph. BMW claims a more than decent fuel efficiency of 13.85kmpl for the new hybrid car.

Like the BMW 7 Series selling in India, the ActiveHybrid 7 also comes in only in the long wheelbase version. The ActiveHybrid 7 will be sold as a CBU in India and will be sold at delaerships in Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Chennai. Showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo, the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 is but one of the major launches for the German marque this year. BMW has already launched the 3 Series GT and the updated X5 this year and will also introduce updated versions of the X3, the all-new M3 sedan and M4 coupe, and the all-electric i8 during the second half of 2014.

Speaking at the launch, Philipp von Sahr, President, BMW Group India said, “Hybrid vehicles are milestones in a time of change toward low-emission driving. The BMW AtiveHybrid 7 introduces a fundamentally new driving experience in the luxury segment that India has never seen before.”