On May 9, BMW launched the 3 Series Gran Limousine M Sport Pro Edition for INR 6.62 million. It comes with a two-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine of the 330Li M Sport Pro Edition which is mated with an eight-speed Steptronic sport automatic transmission and produces an output of 258 hp and maximum torque of 400 Nm at 1,550-4,400 rpm. It can accelerate from 0 -100 km/hr in 6.2 seconds. It is locally produced at its Chennai plant.
It comes with a curved display and connected drive technologies, a live cockpit plus 3D Navigation, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display behind the steering wheel, and a 14.9-inch control display. Its safety features include six airbags, attentiveness assistance, dynamic stability control (DSC) including cornering brake control (CBC), electric parking brake with auto hold, side-impact protection, electronic vehicle immobilizer and crash sensor, etc.
3 Series (BMW)
On May 8, BMW Group announced that in Q1 2024, group revenues decreased 0.6% y/y to EUR 36.6 billion, EBIT was down 24.6% to EUR 4.05 billion and net profit decreased 19.4% to EUR 2.95 billion.
The automotive EBIT totaled EUR 2.7 billion for the Q1, down 28.2% y/y with a 8.8% margin. EBIT was impacted by higher manufacturing costs.
The group delivered 594,533 vehicles, marking a growth of 1.1% YoY. BMW brand sales reached 530,933 units, up 2.5% YoY, while MINI delivered 62,075 vehicles and saw a decline of 9.4% YoY due to undergoing model changes. It delivered around 83,000 all-electric vehicles, increased by around 28%.
BMW Group is increasing investments in R&D and capital expenditure, aiming for record levels this year. The focus remains on innovation, efficient and low-emission tech, and advancing electrification and digitalization. The Neue Klasse will debut with a Sports Activity Vehicle and sedan in the 3 Series segment, aiming for slight YoY sales growth with increased all-electric vehicle percentage.
BMW Group confirms its guidance for the year. Group earnings before tax are forecast to decrease slightly, due to higher manufacturing and fixed costs. It expects an EBIT margin in the automotive segment of between 8-10% for the full year.
On April 11, Yangzhou Yaxing Motor Coach Co., Ltd. (Yaxing Coach) announced the recent holding of a delivery ceremony in Yangzhou, Jiangsu for 1,200 buses for export to Saudi Arabia in 2024.
These buses include the YBL6128H highway passenger vehicle of the X9-3 series and the JS6128GH bus of the X9-C series. So far, Yaxing Coach has sold over 5,000 buses in Saudi Arabia.
From a Yaxing Coach press release