You must’ve thought, a couple of lakh and a little more could buy you an all-new BMW! And then you could douse the ego of that newly rich uncle in your building who purposely flashes the keys to his BMW X1 in the elevator. I thought so too. But then, will it really happen? A BMW for that less? Sure, it’ll be on two wheels, powered by an engine which will also fit under an Apache, and technically those mechanicals should also fit into that price bracket. But then, we aren’t sure if brand BMW does.
Manufacturing locally does have its benefits, as BMW must’ve figured after forging a partnership with TVS. But we’d like to believe that as a brand, BMW would like to maintain a certain level of brand equity, premiumness, if you will, which is an extremely difficult goal to attain if one has to also price a product aggressively. Bajaj has been the champion when it comes to dishing out feature packed products at an astonishing price. And brand KTM has definitely gained from that. Because people are still surprised that something as power packed as the Duke 390 is being offered at such a bargain, although they also know that it isn’t really bomb proof. And while BMW may manage to create a really high-quality machine at a certain cost, whether it would want to sell it here in India at a certain price is a different question altogether.
In Europe, the G 310 R retails for more or less the same price as a D390. But then it’s not just the Duke. The BMW G 310 R will also have to exist alongside the TVS Apache RR 310S, which shares (well, somewhat) the same mechanical components, has a full fairing to its advantage, and being a TVS, will most certainly be priced aggressively. And although preferences have changed over the time, the majority of buyers in this segment still prefer a fully faired, kitted out motorcycle over a naked. The flagship Apache will also be backed by TVS’ vast service network, while the same won’t be true for the G 310 R, unless BMW and TVS come to an agreement to share those resources too.
BMW Motorrad has made its official entry in India and we’re sure many new dedicated retail points will soon sprout. But that takes time. And given the fact that there must be clear differentiation between premium and every day, for a brand to justify that price tag and offer a niche experience, we don’t really think an INR 2 – 2.5 lakh G 310 R will sit alongside the new BMW 5-Series on the spotless floor of a luxury car dealership. Case in point, NEXA. Considering the fact that BMW is also fighting its way to the top alongside Audi and Mercedes, will they want to offer a product at such low prices and wipe away that smug feeling off an owner’s face when he lines up his 5-Series next to the G 310 R at a red light? Because whether you may like it or not, most customers who buy into these premium brands, do so for prestige and the image along with the experience.
It might just happen though. We secretly hope it does. Because given the fact that most of their motorcycles are nothing short of exceptional. Like you, we too hope that the BMW G 310 R is launched soon. And launched at a price which will make many to queue up for one. Which is possible, given the fact that it is manufactured at an Indian facility. It might take time though. Worse still, it might not happen at all if BMW decides to keep its focus on being a premium, luxury brand.
On the other hand, if it does happen and the BMW G 310 R asks for more money than the D390, it could then become a case of BMW’s brand pull v/s consumer logic. If you’ve been waiting for this one for long now, we’d suggest you pin your hopes on that flagship TVS instead. Although if you’re a believer, we really hope you get what you want.