Updated on 23rd July 2014
The BMW ActiveHybrid 7L will be launched in India today. Stay tuned for updates.
Updated on 5th July 2014
Now Mercedes and BMW stand toe to toe this year when it comes to launching products left, right and centre. But according to Motoring World, BMW might be preparing to pull out an ace down their sleeves to tilt things in their favour and take a giant leap forward technologically by entering the untouched Luxury Hybrid Car segment with the BMW ActiveHybrid 7L India launch on 23rd July 2014. Technically, the BMW ActiveHybrid L is not a Pure Hybrid, i.e it does not have a standalone Electric Drive Mode, instead a 20 HP electric motor aided by a 120-volt Lithium-ion battery aids the petrol engine thus reducing emission and helps the car being more fuel efficient. Being the first ever Hybrid from any Luxury car maker in India, the BMW ActiveHybrid L does not carry the pressure of contributing to the sales figures but is more of a Brand showcase product.
Price:
With a premium positioning expected for the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 L in India, pricing is expected to be between Rs 1.5-1.8 Crores (Ex-Showroom Delhi).
Specifications And Features
The petrol engine powering the 7 Series ActiveHybrid L is a 4.4-litre, TwinPower Turbo, direct injection V8 unit with a power output of 460 BHP at 5500-6000 rpm and a torque figure 706 Nm between 2000-4500 rpm. Combined power output is thus 460 bhp. The BMW ActiveHybrid 7L is quick taking just just 4.9 seconds for the 0-100 kph sprint before reaching an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h. A unique facet of this car is that even when the engine is switched off, the air-conditioning and ventilation system continue to work, power being supplied by the 120-volt lithium-ion battery pack. This also allows the system to start cooling the interior even before the driver restarts the engine, thus enabling quicker cooling and lower fuel consumption. The car gets special displays on the instrument cluster that informs the driver about the real-time efficiency and operating status of all hybrid components.
BMW to prove their commitment to the green cause also have the i8 Hybrid super car waiting in the wings for its release. Though we again emphasize that this is not a Hybrid in a conventional sense, but for this trend to catch up -which may turn out to be a necessity in a few years- the onus lies with the more established players like Mercedes, Toyota to lead the way, as BMW has commendably done.
Source: Motoring World
