BMW India has taken an unusually personal approach with the brochure of the new BMW X1 Long Wheelbase (LWB), adding a welcome letter from Hardeep Singh Brar, President and CEO of BMW Group India, addressed directly to prospective customers.
Rather than opening the conversation with performance figures, dimensions or an exhaustive list of equipment, Brar’s message focuses on the experience of becoming a BMW customer. It is a small departure from the traditional automotive brochure, where horsepower and touchscreen sizes usually get considerably more attention than handwritten-style sentiment.
The note welcomes customers to what Brar describes as a world shaped not only by engineering but also by Freude — BMW’s long-standing German expression associated with the joy of driving.
The letter reads:
There are choices in life that go beyond preference. They reflect who we are, what we value,
and the standard we hold ourselves to.
Choosing a BMW is one of those choices.
I want to personally welcome you into a world built on more than engineering excellence. It is
a world defined by Freude — the pure joy of the drive — and by a belief we hold deeply: that
every journey should feel like it was made for you alone.
What you hold in your hands is more than a specification sheet. It is the beginning of a
relationship — one that extends far beyond your first drive. Our commitment to you is not
measured in features or horsepower. It is measured in the experiences we share, the
moments we help you create, and the community of like-minded individuals you become
part of.
I look forward to the road ahead — together.
Warm regards,
Hardeep Singh Brar
President & CEO,
BMW India
The wording is significant because the X1 occupies an important position in BMW’s Indian portfolio. As one of the brand’s more accessible luxury SUVs, it can serve as an entry point for buyers moving into the premium-car market for the first time.
The message therefore works on two levels. On the surface, it is a warm welcome from the head of BMW’s India operations. From a marketing perspective, it also reinforces the idea that purchasing an X1 is not simply a transaction but the beginning of a longer relationship with the brand.
That distinction matters in the luxury-car business. Manufacturers are not merely competing over engines, equipment lists and increasingly enormous screens; they are also trying to build customer loyalty that can carry buyers from entry-level models to larger and more expensive vehicles later.
Brar, who took charge as President and Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group India effective September 1, 2025, brought more than three decades of automotive-industry experience to the position.
The personal note arrives alongside the introduction of the new BMW X1 Long Wheelbase in India. BMW opened pre-launch bookings for the model on August 10 and confirmed that it would be locally produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, with its India launch scheduled for August 21, 2026.
The LWB version places particular emphasis on additional cabin space and rear-seat comfort, broadening the X1’s appeal beyond buyers primarily interested in driving the car themselves. In that sense, the expanded SUV and the CEO’s accompanying message are addressing the same objective from different directions: making BMW ownership feel more welcoming and accessible without abandoning the brand’s premium positioning.
A CEO letter will not determine whether someone signs a cheque for a luxury SUV — pricing, product quality and ownership experience will still have the final say. But in an industry where brochures can sometimes read like engineering manuals with better photography, BMW India’s attempt to put a human voice on the first page is a noteworthy piece of customer engagement.
For BMW, the larger opportunity is clear: if the X1 LWB becomes a buyer’s first introduction to the marque, creating an emotional connection at the beginning could prove just as valuable as explaining what sits beneath the bonnet. The letter is therefore more than a pleasant addition to a brochure; it offers a glimpse into how luxury brands are increasingly trying to turn first-time customers into long-term ones.
