BMW evaluating 7 Series Plug-in for Oz

BMW Australia is keen to flesh out its 7 Series luxury sedan range with a plug-in hybrid variant, the importer's product planning boss has told journalists.

Shawn Ticehurst, the company's head of product and market planning, mentioned during the local launch of the 330e earlier this week that BMW saw opportunities in Australia for the richly-appointed fuel sipper, named the 740e iPerformance.

According to Ticehurst, there is a small but growing niche in the upper echelons of company management in Australia for such a car. A managing director may have some emotional investment in sustainability, or there may be a corporate push to be seen doing the right thing for the environment.

"That's where I definitely see an opportunity, going in that direction... they'll buy them as much to make a statement to fit in with their whole company mantra, as anything else," Ticehurst said.

"The announcement's been made in Munich, but the 7 Series will get plug-in hybrid technology. We're evaluating that car at the moment, and we're looking at whether that one's relevant for Australia."

Ticehurst didn't put a timeframe on its arrival here – if at all – but he did say there were "no other firm plans" for plug-in hybrid technology in any other models in the range (apart from the 330e and the X5 40e already announced and coming to Australia).

In subsequent conversation with motoring.com.au, Ticehurst revealed that another car on BMW Australia's radar – but not especially eco-friendly – is the X7, BMW's built-in-America large SUV that will go toe to toe with the Mercedes-Benz GLS when it arrives on the scene.

"We've put our hand up for it, we're certainly keen on it," he said. "It's got good potential in Australia. X5, last year was the best-selling luxury SUV in Australia. If there's a bigger version of it, it would suit us.

On the sports scene, Ticehurst says it's still too far off in the future to be discussing the car that will replace the Z4. While it's been labelled Z5 and has been seen already in spy photos, Ticehurst didn't care to discuss the new two-seater's launch date in the local market.

"Nothing confirmed," he replied, "even that name's not confirmed [Z5]."

For the M3 and M5 Competition Pack variants due in June, Ticehurst says that BMW will keep us posted.

"We'll confirm that one shortly," he said. "It will go on sale within coming months..."

The BMW exec could confirm that the M4 GTS is on the way, and will arrive in the local market during the fourth quarter this year.

"It's a very limited number of cars," he explained. "There's 700 [being built] worldwide; we're just awaiting the final Australian allocation. We're playing the card that we're a strong 'M' market...

"Even if we get a good amount, we'll be lucky if it's 15 or 20 [for Australia].

"We've already got orders for them; we've got orders from people who don't know the price and don't know how many we're getting," he concluded.