BMW to roll out BS-VI engines for petrol cars in April: Vikram Pawah

BMW will become the first carmaker after Mercedes Benz to introduce low-emission vehicles

German luxury carmaker BMW will roll out Bharat Stage (BS)-VI petrol cars in the country in April this year. It will become the first carmaker after Mercedes Benz to introduce low-emission vehicles. The company, which managed to grow volumes by 25 per cent in 2017, is confident of posting high growth in 2018.

“All our petrol car models will move to BS-VI emission norms in April. I do not need a policy for that but an incentive would have helped. These petrol models will be available only in BS-VI from April,” said Vikram Pawah, president, BMW Group India. 

These petrol cars will run on the BS-IV fuel in the country except Delhi, where the Union government has decided to roll out BS-VI petrol and diesel two years before the national deadline of April 2020, he added. 

BMW's diesel cars will be upgraded to BS-VI before April 2020. The company said no price hike has been planned on account of the introduction of BS-VI standards. “We do not look at prices on basis of technology that we introduce. We avoid multiple price increases,” said Pawah. He, however, said the company will have to increase prices from April to pass on the impact of customs duty hike introduced in the Budget. 

In January, Mercedes launched India’s first BS-VI compliant car. The new BS-VI vehicle claims a reduction in the nitrogen oxide emissions level by 68 per cent, while the particulate matter limit would be reduced by a substantial 82 per cent, the company said.

BMW, sold a record 9,800 vehicles in the country during 2017, expanding 25 per cent over 2016 when its sales had grown at 14 per cent. Pawah said the focus would be on creating new segments and reaching out to new markets. “We will expand the market. We have 43 sales outlets now and it will go to 50 by end of the year,” he added. 
 

Pawah expressed concern over the policy changes in the sector. 

“We are surprised at the policy flip-flop. One week there is an increase in a segment (cars) and another week there is decrease in another (two wheelers). We have both cars and two wheelers. The current policies are counterproductive towards Making in India.” 

He expressed unhappiness over high taxes on luxury cars. “Customers want to know why these products are so expensive even though they are made locally. You have to explain to them that 70 per cent of the price are taxes,” said Pawah. 

BMW said it was not in race for the number one position in the luxury segment here. 

“For me leadership is about creating markets. Once you do that you become a sustainable leader,” Pawah said.