BMW recently revealed that the new Z4 roadster will be offered with a choice of three powertrains. But now the Munich-based brand’s local arm has confirmed one of these engine derivatives will not be available in South Africa.
While the new Z4 range in many markets will comprise the base Z4 sDrive20i, flagship M40i and mid-tier sDrive30i, South Africa will miss out on the latter when the Z4 arrives in the first quarter of 2019.
For the record, the sDrive30i employs a turbocharged 2,0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine tuned to deliver 190 kW and 400 N.m, which BMW says is enough for a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 5,4 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h.
BMW SA’s decision not to offer this particular model appears to be part of a larger strategy being applied across its range, where seemingly slow-selling mid-tier derivatives such as the 125i, 230i, 430i and X1 xDrive25i have recently fallen away.
In addition, the local line-up for the new X5 will comprise only the entry-level xDrive30d and the flagship (for now, at least) X5 M50d, with no mid-range models (such as the xDrive40i) on the cards.
