[deepjaju]

Really awesome pricing.
Luxury line is going to be the choice of the masses and the msport the choice of Bhpians.
Really surprised to see remote parking option in the Luxury line and almost good set of features. Can someone clarify do all models have touch functionality of the screen (not talking about idrive controller) ?
Awesome job BMW !

[Turbanator]

Can someone clarify do all models have touch functionality of the screen (not talking about idrive controller)

Should be, as all carry the same description

"Configurable user interface
Gesture control"

One thing that I remember having seen on the 530-D was handsfree boot opening, surprisingly this is not mentioned anywhere on the spec sheet. I think it's a cool feature and BMW should have advertised it better

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhZldFSuf1A

[agambhandari]

The petrol has fantastic pricing given the great performance (6.2 sec 0 to 100) and the added features in petrol Luxury line(the display key and launch control etc.) The diesels are probably priced t get the max margins but then again the there is no real competion apart from the XF and that has terrible rear space. The e class is already half a segment higher so not fair to compare. But I think Merc has maintained a a very competitive price(Post gst, I expect the E220d at 55-56), barely 5 lacs above the competion price for what is a real step above in rear seat comfort.

While the car doesn't excite me personally ( I still believe E60 was the best looker and in the current generation of this segment, the A6 looks the best), I'm sure it is a hoot to drive and in a few months I expect rains of 520d all over the roads just like when the F10 was launched.

[ToyotaFan]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

While the car doesn't excite me personally ( I still believe E60 was the best looker and in the current generation of this segment, the A6 looks the best), I'm sure it is a hoot to drive and in a few months I expect rains of 520d all over the roads just like when the F10 was launched.

I think what this pricing by BMW has done is kill the S90. The BMW has a better diesel, a fast petrol and very good equipment all at a price cheaper than the Volvo which will make it hard for anyone in this segment to ignore it. As such the launch of the E so soon after the S90 would surely have affected its sales. With the marketing muscle and support from BMW and Merc miles ahead I see it again as a 2 way race (the usual front seat vs back seat question) between the 2 brands and both Volvo with the S90 and lexus with the ES will find it tough to make any inroads into the segment. Just my thoughts.

[M00M]

I think we still have only seen half the picture. with GST prices of other cars will come down and that will make the 5 pricing seem just a slight bit less but not that much of a difference for someone who wishes to buy the s90 or the E. Once we have the prices of the whole competition will we have the complete picture.

Right now the 5 is 61 for 530d and E350d is 70 -- but with GST it might reduce that gap to say 61 for 5 and E to lets assume 65, then that might make things more interesting to see what consumers will go after. With them announcing prices after GST the prices seem attractive for sure but i think theyre not that attractive and theyre still charging a pretty penny. They couldve definitely priced them slightly lower.

Lets wait and watch. I love the packaging of the 5, i hope it does well.

[ToyotaFan]

Originally Posted by M00M

I think we still have only seen half the picture.
Right now the 5 is 61 for 530d and E350d is 70 -- but with GST it might reduce that gap to say 61 for 5 and E to lets assume 65, then that might make things more interesting to see what consumers will go after. With them announcing prices after GST the prices seem attractive for sure but i think theyre not that attractive and theyre still charging a pretty penny. They couldve definitely priced them slightly lower.

Lets wait and watch. I love the packaging of the 5, i hope it does well.

I don't think we will see a 5L decrease in the price of the E. The duty has reduced the maximum for SUVs but for sedans is mostly a 4-5 percent decrease. Considering not all of it is usually passed I think a decrease of 2-2.5 L is more on the expected lines post GST. Sure that would make the E more competitive but still BMW seems to have priced the car well. Just my interpretation of the GST. Maybe experts may differ on this view.

[sunny310c]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

I don't think we will see a 5L decrease in the price of the E. The duty has reduced the maximum for SUVs but for sedans is mostly a 4-5 percent decrease. Considering not all of it is usually passed I think a decrease of 2-2.5 L is more on the expected lines post GST. Sure that would make the E more competitive but still BMW seems to have priced the car well. Just my interpretation of the GST. Maybe experts may differ on this view.

Pretty much what I am expecting too. From what I have been reading, we can expect anywhere between 2% - 5% reduction in prices for luxury sedans and 5% - 8% reduction for luxury SUVs. I also read that there might be a greater reduction in case of CBUs. Having said that, there is still a lot of confusion because of the fact that the existing taxes include various state level taxes and octroi which vary from state to state.

Overall, I don't see the Merc E class prices dropping by 9 lacs so IMO, BMW clearly have the advantage.

[Axe77]

Few thoughts on this from my side:

Firstly, Mercedes has the advantage of being able to respond to BMW pricing and temper exactly where it wants its post GST pricing to sit in.

The 5 still has very mediocre leg room. In this segment in India, I believe back seat comfort will trump gizmos for most buyers. If the price difference is not huge between the two, my sense is that the E will sell several times the no of each 5.

Interestingly btw, the wheel well that has been created for the donut is completely removable should someone want to access the fuller 500+ litre boot. With the wheel in the well, usable space looked like 400 odd litres to me from a naked eye guess.

[Fstlndrive]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

One thing that I remember having seen on the 530-D was handsfree boot opening, surprisingly this is not mentioned anywhere on the spec sheet. I think it's a cool feature and BMW should have advertised it better

It is a part of comfort access system and although it is mentioned in the specification sheet, I agree BMW could have advertised better.

[petroguzzler]

Pretty clever marketing by BMW to have the tagline as the Business Athlete. It conveys the message that the owners of the 5 would be more youthful and fit and would prefer self driving to being chauffeured.

[Yeldo]

Originally Posted by Fstlndrive

It is a part of comfort access system and although it is mentioned in the specification sheet, I agree BMW could have advertised better.

The spec sheet simply reads:

"Comfort access system - ‘keyless’ opening and locking of the vehicle including tailgate"

BMW could have described it better.

[MercedesGirl]

Turbanator, Yeldo,

Believe me, it's the worst thing about the car, I have it on my 7 and 80% of the times it fails to work, only leaving you embarrassed and scrambling for the keys. This and Remote Park personally are as useless as they get, Wish they had added Panorama Roof over the Remote Park.But the cars are very well loaded compared to the E which feels so basic.

Some observations I've had about the new 5 in India vs what we use in the UK,

1. Some how the rear seat feels more upright, to the point of feeling outright uncomfortable. This I assumed is to create more leg room they have pushed the seat a little behind which in turn has made the angle of the back rest more upright or is this to do with the Space Wheel?

2. The switches etc. in the 5 feel so bad in terms of quality, so does the fake leather on the dash board. Why could they just not let it stay the way it is without any covering?

3. M-Sport Variant could have had more interior Options, and 40i if nothing else, all one is left with is Mocha or Ivory with Brown. Ivory with Black is a lot more tasteful. This model also could do with a better trim, the silver finish does not look appealing overall.

This car truly is the pick in the segment because the E-Class in it's LWB form just does not look good (Personal Opinion), Feels very basic in loading for Indian Spec, and I dislike the Ride in the E.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

One thing that I remember having seen on the 530-D was handsfree boot opening,

Originally Posted by Yeldo

BMW could have described it better.

[84.monsoon]

One of the ways I like to test a car's pricing in India is to find out how much it costs as compared to the prices in western markets such as Continental Europe, USA and UK. USA is generally the lowest in prices, followed by Europe and then UK. Even then, these prices are generally significantly lower than in India, it is not uncommon for Luxury cars to cost 100% more in India (twice the price) as in the USA. Generally it tends to be 60-80% more expensive for luxury cars.

I want to the BMW USA site and configured the exact equivalent set of features to the BMW 530i we are able to purchase in India. Standard features pretty much match one for one.

The result was an MSRP (roughly equivalent to ex-showroom prices) of USD 57,915. State taxes and fees are are on top of this and roughly match our road tax, maybe slightly lower in some states. I have attached the configured spec sheet.

So the comparable price after conversion is Rs. 37,50,000 ex-showroom, as compared to Rs. 50,00,000 we pay here. So the premium is 33% over the US prices. This is indeed very good value, compared to most luxury cars.

For instances, the 3 series luxury line equivalent costs about USD 40,000, i.e., Rs. 25.8 Lacs. It is sold here for Rs. 43 Lacs, so approximately 67% premium. Even after a GST related reduction of 2-3 Lacs, it will still have close to 55% premium over the US car.

So all in all, I think the 530i is incredible value indeed compared to other luxury cars being sold in India today.

[Akshay1234]

I think the pricing is pretty much spot on. The 530i is really really tempting, and I think it will take over the 330i's sales. For a few lacs more who wouldn't want the 530i.

Feature wise all the cars are well loaded, and I am glad they have launched all 3 engines now. Though I believe the 530i will start showing up after a couple of months, since there were none at the launch and even the dealers haven't received any.

Cant wait to go and TD the car and see how it feels, considering the bigger 7 feels so nimble.

[imp!]

It certainly appears to be tempting pricing, but, that can only be determined by Mercedes E-Class pricing strategy post GST. If they pass on the full 8% savings, BMW are in for a difficult time.

Having said that, at a 10L difference between the 530i and 530D, I can sure see enthusiasts with the budget buying it over the 530D