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Husqvarna sold to KTM CEO Stefan Pierer

A couple of days ago the UK's Motorcycle News reported that BMW was in the final stages of selling Husqvarna to KTM, with a deal potentially confirmed as soon as this week. Following that came reports that Husqvarna Motorcycles wasn't sold to KTM but to a Pierer Industries, the company owned by KTM CEO Stefan Pierer. Turns out the advance report was true, as was the follow-up: BMW has just announced a "strategic realignment" of its Motorrad division, explaining that it sold Husqvarna to Pierer Industries in order to focus on the urban and e-mobility segments. Husqvarna's off-road machines, obviously, don't fit into those categories.
BMW bought the Italian-based bike maker with centuries-old Swedish roots in 2007 - the rest of the Husqvarna company remains based in Sweden - and has invested huge sums to integrate the smaller company into the larger parent. Six years later, just when dividends should begin to truly pay off, the brand is sold.
Before BMW made its announcement, one of the theories that forum members put forward for Pierer's interest in purchasing Husqvarna was that he wants his own business to run his own way. The parent company of KTM, Cross Industries, is 47.27-percent owned by India's Bajaj Automotive, with Pierer the majority shareholder, and is on a quest for global growth, taking the fight to BMW in Europe and launching new bikes and technology into the Indian market. Compared to BMW's and KTM's 2012 sales of around 100,000 bikes each in 2012, Husqvarna sold 10,751 bikes, which was a 15.7-percent increase over the previous year. Pierer would have a lot more freedom in the running of a company of that size.

Hyundai, BMW in plant talks with Mexican officials

BMW and Hyundai may be joining the rush for the border that has already seen Nissan, Honda and Mazda begin factory construction in Mexico, while Ford and General Motors have both made significant investments in their Mexican facilities. BMW's interest in Mexico has been apparent for some time, and while we'd heard grumblings about Hyundai's move into Latin America some time ago, the last we heard about it was in 2009.
This new move, reported by Bloomberg, doesn't get specific on which models will be produced south of the Rio Grande, and as neither automakers' spokespeople responded to the business site's request for statements, all we really have to go on are the statements of Mexico's Economy Minister, Ildefonso Guajardo: "I cannot talk for them, but I think that starting 2014 we'll have new announcements. At least for one." Which manufacturer that will be remains anyone's guess, although judging by all the recent scuttlebutt that's been going around, the smart money seems to be on BMW. We'll stay with this one.

2014 BMW X5 priced from $53,725*

A month after the official curtain was dropped, BMW has seen fit to release pricing information on its new 2014 X5 crossover. The X5 sDrive35i, which is the first rear-wheel-drive version of the X5, will begin at $53,725 (*including $925 for destination and handling) while the traditional all-wheel-drive X5 xDrive35i will begin at $56,025. Both feature BMW's well-regarded 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo N55 engine with 300 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque.
The 2014 BMW X5 xDrive35d (Have these convoluted names confused you yet?) is priced at $57,525 with its 3.0-liter diesel engine (255 hp and 413 lb-ft), and, finally, the TwinPower Turbo V8-powered X5 xDrive50i (445 hp and 480 lb-ft) will start at $69,125. Buyers looking to customize their X5 experience can choose from the Luxury Line, xLine or M Sport packages, plus Ivory White and Mocha Interior Design Packages. Regardless of which engine is chosen, the X5 will come equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
For comparison, the 2013 X5 xDrive35i started at $48,425. That means the price has increased by over $5,000 despite not including standard all-wheel drive or by $7,600 when comparing apples to apples with similar six-cylinder engines and power to all four wheels. The V8 model increased by $4,000 and the diesel, interestingly enough, dropped by $100.