NEW DELHI, May 23:  Luxury automotive group BMW is offering a price protection assurance program to Indian customers looking to buy MINI 3-Door Cooper S model produced at its Oxford plant in the UK, amid anticipated duty cuts in the wake of India-UK FTA pact, a top company official said on Friday.

  BMW Group India will pass on the benefits of any price reduction in the near future on MINI 3-Door Cooper S model under a limited period offer covering cars bought from now onwards till the next 180 days, its President and CEO Vikram Pawah told PTI.

He said while the government has announced that the negotiations of the India-UK FTA pact are final, the details are awaited, which has created uncertainty in the minds of customers looking to buy the MINI 3-Door Cooper S model, which is powered by a petrol engine.

“We have been getting calls from customers as to what the impact is, because MINI 3-Door Cooper S is coming from the UK, what will happen, whether they should buy now or not,” he said.

In order to overcome this uncertainty, he said, “We are telling our customers if there is something to happen in the next six months we will protect your price.”

Under offer, if price is reduced during this period, the respective dealership will refund the differential amount between the net invoiced price and the new ex-showroom price back to the customer.

This, Pawah said, will help in making customers make the buying decision immediately.

Under the India-UK FTA concluded earlier this month, tariffs on automotive imports will go from over 100 per cent to 10 per cent under quotas on both sides. However, duty-free quota on EVs is limited only to a few thousand units.

The MINI 3-Door Cooper S model is currently available at ex-showroom price starting at Rs 44.9 lakh and is imported as a completely built-up unit. It attracts basic custom duty of 70 per cent.

BMW Group India, however, said the other model of the new MINI family — the all-electric MINI Countryman — is not covered under the offer. It is available in India as a completely built-up unit and is produced at BMW Group Plant Leipzig in Germany. The model is priced at Rs 54.9 lakh.

The MINI range registered sales of 150 units in Q1 2025 and 709 units in 2024 in India. (PTI)