Mumbai, Sep 3 (IANS): German luxury automobile manufacturer BMW Tuesday launched its entry-level BMW 1-Series hatchback with petrol and diesel variants priced between Rs.20.90 lakh and Rs.29.90 lakh.

The entry-level car was unveiled by cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and race car driver Armaan Ebrahim here.

"The breathtaking agility and sophisticated functionality make it the perfect car for people who are passionate about driving and want to make their mark," said Philipp von Sahr, president, BMW Group India.

"A genuine eye-catcher with a real presence, the all-new BMW 1 Series will definitely stir up the premium car segment.”

According to the company, the new vehicle will be locally assembled at its Chennai plant using completely knocked down (CKD) kits and will compete with recently launched Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

The car's diesel variant is powered by a two-litre TwinPower turbocharged four-cylinder engine which can achieve top speed of 212 km per hour and an acceleration from 0-100 km per hour in 8.6 seconds. The engine delivers a mileage of 20.58 km per litre.

The petrol variant is powered by a 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine which can achieve top speed of 210 km per hour and a mileage of 16.28 km per litre. Both the engine types are coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission.