April 5: The BMW Group, which owns the Mini brand, has made it available in India as a Completely Built-up Unit (CBU) in the Mini Hatch, Mini Convertible and Mini Countryman range in powerful and efficient petrol variants with a six-speed automatic transmission. India is the 100th country in which the Mini has been launched. The range, which was showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year, already has 100 buyers in the country, The deliveries will start from May.

Speaking at the launch in Mumbai, Dr Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW Group India, said: “We have brought the world’s most exciting premium small car brand to India. The Mini is more than just a car – it is a personality on wheels – a fashion statement – and a way of life. The Mini expresses a whole generation’s approach to life – it is extrovert, open and full of zest in life. No other brand exhibits the attributes and essence of a modern urban lifestyle like MINI and there is no doubt that it is one of the world’s most emotional auto brands.”

“By launching the new Mini 10 years ago, we created the world’s first premium small car brand in the world. Since then, we have sold over two million Minis and converted the brand from a single-model offer to a family of six models. Our main focus this year will be to concentrate on successfully establishing the MINI brand in India.” Dr. Schaaf further added.

Infinity Cars, the first exclusive showroom for the Mini brand, is located at Linking Road, Mumbai. Pooja Choudury, MD, Infinity Cars, said: “We are proud to launch the first Mini showroom in Mumbai. The Mini will open up a whole new world of inventiveness and style here.”

Mini India has announced plans to around five to six dealerships in India including two exclusive outlets in Delhi (National Capital Region) in 2012. The ex-showroom prices for the Mini range in India are:

Mini Cooper: Rs 25,50,000

Mini Cooper S: Rs 28,60,000

Mini Cooper Convertible: Rs 30,70,000

Mini Cooper S Countryman: Rs 32,80,000

Mini Cooper S Countryman High: Rs 35,90,000