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Old 2nd July 2009, 22:05   #31
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And the Mini easily has more brand recognition than the 500. Actually, if you're the type with S-Classes and the like in your garage, this could be pretty VFM considering what a head turner it is .

Note to self: GET RICH SOON
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Old 2nd July 2009, 22:21   #32
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Mini Sucks !! LOL !! Fiat 500 rocks !! Just kidding (Silently : No I am not !!)
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Old 2nd July 2009, 23:23   #33
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MINI coming to India! Soon! I doubt. Why? Because it won't be able to compete. The pricing looks to be in the range of 18-20 L (Considering the landing cost multiplier for a CBU is 1.7) At this price bracket, the sales' numbers will be limited. IMO There might be an initial Euphoria Purchase but then, it will fade away.

Another problem is that Mini is not in the league of Fiat 500, Beetle ... where the leter ones just occupy a corner space in a showroom of Fiat/VW. Mini is a brand in itself & so, the whole retail network is identified separately than BMW. It is OK for Fiat to bring in 14 Fiat 500 and sell them in India through the existing dealer network for the heck of it. But you cannot do the same with Mini since it will demand a completely different retail presence.

Never ever I have seen it parked next to a BMW in a BMW showroom.
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Old 3rd July 2009, 09:20   #34
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Mini is going to be launched in India !!!! I doubt about this as it wouldn't be able to compete with other cars from the same segment as it will be a pure direct import with a huge price tag around 15-20L.
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Old 3rd July 2009, 10:49   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BeamerBoy View Post
MINI coming to India! Soon! I doubt. Why? Because it won't be able to compete. The pricing looks to be in the range of 18-20 L (Considering the landing cost multiplier for a CBU is 1.7) At this price bracket, the sales' numbers will be limited. IMO There might be an initial Euphoria Purchase but then, it will fade away.

Another problem is that Mini is not in the league of Fiat 500, Beetle ... where the leter ones just occupy a corner space in a showroom of Fiat/VW. Mini is a brand in itself & so, the whole retail network is identified separately than BMW. It is OK for Fiat to bring in 14 Fiat 500 and sell them in India through the existing dealer network for the heck of it. But you cannot do the same with Mini since it will demand a completely different retail presence.

Never ever I have seen it parked next to a BMW in a BMW showroom.
If and when the Mini is launched, it will be sold via the BMW showrooms. It is not viable for BMW to have seperate dealership network for the Mini. Even RRs shares it's service bay with BMWs here so why not the Mini !?

IMO, the Mini has no competition at the moment, not even the Fiat 500. Most buyers of the 500 are enthusiasts who have prior knowledge and legacy of the car. The Mini on the other hand has a much stronger brand image than Fiat on a premium level. Most people think it's stupid to pay 15 lakhs for a "Fiat" , the Mini is considered as a lifestyle vehicle and a strong premium image thanks to it's big daddy BMW.

At the end of it, I don't see it get large volumes but it still will do waaaay better than the Fiat 500, IMO. Buyers for the Mini would probably use it as their weekend "fun" car, most of these buyers probably already have 3-4 luxury vehicles in their garage.

Last edited by Sahil : 3rd July 2009 at 10:51.
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Old 3rd July 2009, 21:07   #36
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If and when the Mini is launched, it will be sold via the BMW showrooms. It is not viable for BMW to have seperate dealership network for the Mini. Even RRs shares it's service bay with BMWs here so why not the Mini !?
RR shares its service bay with BMW or it is vice versa . Service still remains the under belly, something that the customers do not notice provided the result is good. Both the RR dealers in India have separate showrooms though. Never ever seen an RR displayed in a BMW Showroom nor the Mini.
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Old 3rd July 2009, 21:18   #37
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RR shares its service bay with BMW or it is vice versa . Service still remains the under belly, something that the customers do not notice provided the result is good. Both the RR dealers in India have separate showrooms though. Never ever seen an RR displayed in a BMW Showroom nor the Mini.
Its def not vice-versa as there always are far more BMWs and the service station clearly mentions BMW not RR. They might have separate showrooms but the RR's are delivered directly to customers from the BMW service center where the PDI etc is done.
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Old 4th July 2009, 08:44   #38
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If BMW manufacture the previous gen mini here (new one coming in 2010) they could probably price it under 12L. This is one car that i wouldn't mind having a previous gen model. The mini surely rocks.
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Old 4th July 2009, 15:05   #39
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Never ever I have seen it parked next to a BMW in a BMW showroom.
Mini is sold in the same showroom as BMW in some middle east countries.
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Old 4th July 2009, 23:38   #40
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Mini is sold in the same showroom as BMW in some middle east countries.
And may be in Botswana, Cameroon & Ghana.
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Old 4th July 2009, 23:55   #41
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If BMW manufacture the previous gen mini here (new one coming in 2010) they could probably price it under 12L. This is one car that i wouldn't mind having a previous gen model. The mini surely rocks.
mini under 12 lakhs,,meaning i can dream of owning one!!
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Old 5th July 2009, 00:36   #42
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nothings coming out of a bmw show room for less than 20 lacs.
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Old 5th July 2009, 17:40   #43
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Mini is sold in the same showroom as BMW in some middle east countries.
Now, when Rolls Royce entered India, they chose to setup their own showrooms in cities across India. Though Rolls Royce is designed or partly developed by BMW, the sales and service is not taken care of by them.

I'm certain BMW will not use its existing network in India to sell or service Mini brand of cars.
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Old 5th July 2009, 18:43   #44
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mini under 12 lakhs,,meaning i can dream of owning one!!
Where BMW Mini Cooper is available in India @ 12L ???
See CarTradeIndia, BMW officials are saying that the price tag for Mini would be between 30L-40L, as it will be a direct import.
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Old 6th July 2009, 10:31   #45
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And may be in Botswana, Cameroon & Ghana.
You'd be surprised but even the BMW showroom in Boston had a section within for the Mini.
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