[Busan Motor Show] BMW to unveil high-performance, hybrid vehicles

The Korean unit of German luxury carmaker BMW is set to unveil its five new models in Korea at the 2016 Busan International Motor Show slated to kick off on June 2, according to the automaker on Sunday.

The automaker said it would showcase one flagship model 750Li Individual, two high-performance cars -- M2 Coupe and X4 M40i -- and two plug-in hybrid vehicles -- 330e M Sport and X5 xDrive40e -- at the upcoming biennial auto event. 

Its flagship 750Li Individual sedan is limited edition and its interior design factors like color and material can be customized based on clients’ taste, BMW Korea’s spokesperson said.

Two high-performance models that will be on display are the M2 Coupe and X4 M40i. M2 Coupe is a compact sports car boasting 370 horsepower. Both cars can reach to 100 kilometers in 4.3 seconds.

BMW’s new vehicle in its sports activity coupe is the 3.0-liter gasoline engine-loaded X4 M40i. The car also boasts 360 horsepower and a maximum torque of 47.4 kg-m. Its high-performance engine and M-performance twin-power turbo technology enables the car to accelerate to 100 kph in 4.9 seconds.

The all-new 2016 Mini convertible rolling into dealerships completes a reboot for the brand, proving that American buyers will pay handsomely for a small car -- if it’s good enough.

Meanwhile, BMW-owned British carmaker MINI will debut its all-new MINI Convertible, the only premium convertible in the small car segment, at the Busan Motor Show.

Besides passenger cars, the luxury carmaker is also set to showcase its new motorcycle G 310 R, which is the automaker’s first compact one with an engine capacity of 300 cc. The automaker said the new model fits well for female drivers or beginners.

“We will continue to roll out new motorcycles in the local market as we have seen sales growth over the past decade. Motorbike sales grew tenfold to 2,000 units last year compared to a decade ago,” BMW Korea’s spokesperson said.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)