BMW is set to charge European buyers of its new ActiveHybrid X6 up to £37,709 more for the petrol-electric four-wheel drive than customers in North America when deliveries begin in early 2010, according to official pricing made public last week.
Potential customers in left-hand drive European markets have already begun questioning the new car’s lofty 102,000 euro (£90,979) price tag.
BMW X6 ActiveHybrid first drive reviewSee the hi-res pics of the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid
By comparison, North American buyers of the ActiveHybrid X6 are being asked to hand over $89,500 – a figure which, on today’s Euro/Dollar exchange rate, relates to €59,723 (£53,270).
This represents a difference of €42,277 (£37,709) or over 41 per cent between the price of the new car in Europe and the same model in the US.
Asked why it was planning to charge European buyers well beyond that being asked in the US, BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6 project boss, Peter Tuennemann, said: “US car buyers aren’t prepared to pay as much for a hybrid as their European counterparts. There’s more hybrid competition in the US than in Europe and the price reflects this.”
The new ActiveHybrid X6 is not planned to head to the UK owing to BMW’s decision not to offer it in right-hand drive guise because of the continued popularity of diesel powered versions of the sporty SUV.
Greg Kable
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