It’s a big world out there and BMW strives to cater to the needs of each individual market to retain its global sales luxury crown. Every now and then, this never-ending ambition to be the dominant player in the premium segment leads to some unusual situations. Case in point, the 5 Series will be sold in India with a choice between two wheelbase options.
While global markets have the standard-wheelbase G60 and China gets the long-wheelbase G68, India will receive both flavors of the posh sedan. Autocar India reports the gasoline and diesel versions of the 5er are going to be assembled locally at the Chennai plant with a stretched wheelbase while the fully electric i5 will be imported from somewhere else with a regular wheelbase. The EV version won’t be coming from China because BMW makes the left-hand-drive version there whereas India is a right-hand-drive market.
It’s not going to be the first time BMW sells a sedan in the world’s most populous country with two wheelbase sizes since the strategy has already been used for the 3 Series / 3 Series Gran Limousine. It makes sense to replicate the plan for the 5er considering its smaller brother was the company’s best-selling product in India last year when BMW Group sales were at record highs.
The G68 is initially going to be sold in 530Li guise and will be available alongside a G60 i5 eDrive40. The eighth-generation 5 Series Sedan is scheduled to go on sale in India later this year to take on the Mercedes E-Class but not the EQE since the electric saloon hasn’t been launched there yet.
It’s worth noting that the stretched 5 Series Sedan is the only model besides the 7 Series to come with the optional 31.3-inch Theatre Screen. It’s available in China but remains to be seen whether the Indian variant will get the super-sized entertainment system for rear passengers. The elongated model is supremely large, at 5175 millimeters (203.7 inches) long while carrying around a stately wheelbase of 3105 mm (122.2 in).
Source: Autocar India
