The streakers will be in town!

Mumbai: This is the car that BMW launches its India offensive with - the 3 series! Call it a pure driver's car, instead. These cars come in 10 options - five each in petrol and diesel. They range in power from 129 hp and 306 hp in petrol and 122 hp to 286 hp in diesel.

The 258 hp in the 330i is quite exciting and is capable of touching the 100-kph mark in just 6.3 seconds! This car might come to India at a later date. But the 3 series will debut with the 218 hp 325i in petrol and 163 hp 320D in the diesel version.

The 325i is a bestseller and its looks vouch for it. Its sharp crease along the shoulder gives it a fit image. The kidney shaped grille extends into the bonnet and the headlamps extends into the side fenders, making this car look more like a brawling streetfighter than the fine street cruiser it is.

The rear lamps have been redesigned - complementing the overall design far better than in the larger 5 Series.

Moving within, the interiors of this car are roomier than its predecessor and there's a little more legroom than its immediate rival, the Mercedes C class.

But you're not going to find a spare tyre in the dicky and this is a deliberate decision made by BMW. That's because this car comes with James Bond style run-flat tyres, which is a technology that allows it to be driven at 80 kmph for up to 200 kms on a flat tyre!

The 3 Series will hit the Indian roads early next year and at a price ranging between Rs 27 and Rs 32 lakhs!

The 5 Series though will run neck to neck with the Mercedes E Class. Opinions vary about the design of the fifth generation of this series but I liked it - mainly from the front and side.

The rear, though, is a little drab. The exterior of the 5 Series is very subtle. The most attractive thing is the headlamaps which gives it an eagle eye kind of silhouette.

The interiors are spacious. The rear legroom has been extended by 45 mm so the backseat boss will get a comfortable ride. The gray colour scheme was too mellow. But in the front of the car - the steering was sporty with a touch of aluminium.

Internationally, the 5 Series has five options in petrol ranging from 174 hp to 360 hp. The diesel has four options ranging from 160 hp to 280 hp. What could come to India could be the 258 hp 530i in petrol and the 177 hp 525D in diesel.

To complement these powerful engines are some advanced features - like the display on the windshield so the driver doesn't have to look down to see the meter console. This car should hit Indian roads by June 2007.

The 5 Series cars will be priced competitvely with Mercedes Benz in India.

Now, let's move onto BMW's second generation SUV - X5. The evolution of this SUV has done it a world of good. It has outgrown and outpowered its predecessor. So, the 2007 model of the X5 seats seven, has a whopping 4.8 litre petrol engine option and a 3 litre diesel one as well.

It's going to be officially launced at the Paris Motor Show next week, so you'll get an indepth review then.