BMW, the German luxury car maker, has introduced new variants of its 5 Series sedan priced in the range of Rs. 36.9 lakh & Rs. 46.8 lakh as it looks to strengthen its presence in the country.

The new variants, BMW 520d, 530d and 530d Highline powered by diesel engines, will be additions to its existing petro variants BMW 525i and BMW 530i.

The BMW India President Peter Kronschnabl said that "The BMW 5 Series is in the luxury Business Class car segment, and it is our goal to continue providing our customers in India with the highest standards of all-round quality, safety, and perfection to ensure the highest levels of comfort and luxury.

The company which started assembling cars in India last year had sold about 1,400 units and is targeting to sell 2,000 units this year.

It had increased production capacity of its Chennai plant from 1,700 units to 3,000 units per year on a single shift basis with an additional investment od Rs 3 crore. It had made an initial investment of Rs 110 crore.

The new 3-Series is essentially the same on the outside, but additions have been made to the trim, and the engines have been tweaked to squeeze out more power from the same basic mills, both petrol and diesel.

So, the 1,995cc common rail diesel engine's peak power has received a boost to about 170bhp from the earlier 156bhp. Similarly, in the 320i, the two-litre petrol engine's power has gone up to 158bhp from about 137bhp and the 2.5-litre petrol engine in the 325i is now rated at 215bhp compared to the earlier 195bhp.

A few new features have also been added to the 2008 BMW 3 Series, which include Xenon headlights as well as chrome door surrounds for a sportier look, and glass roofs as standard fitment on all models.

By popular customer demand BMW has also introduced the BMW 320d in a new trim called Highline.

This new diesel variant of the BMW 3 Series comes with added features including iDrive functionality and a Hi- Fi loudspeaker system with more powerful and efficient engines and a wide range of enhancements such as new light alloy wheel rims, glass roofs and Xenon lights now standard on all models, the BMW 3 Series' reputation of being an elegant sports sedan has received a boost.

The ex-showroom prices of the BMW 3 Series are as follows: BMW 320i - Rs 27 lakh; BMW 325i - Rs 33 lakh; BMW 320d - Rs 29.7 lakh; and BMW 320d Highline - Rs 30.7 lakh These prices are applicable across all BMW dealerships in India.