Mercedes-Benz S-class

Indian-assembled Mercedes S 500 sedan priced at Rs 1.36 crore

The Mercedes S 500 sedan is powered by a 453bhp petrol V8.

Mercedes-Benz has announced that it has started assembling its flagship luxury sedan, the new S-class, here at its Chakan plant in Pune. According to sources in the company, the move follows increasing demand for the S 500, the top-of-the-line variant of the S-class that is available here.

Eberhard Kern, managing director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “No other car stands for Mercedes-Benz brand promise more than the S-Class and we are delighted to manufacture the new S-Class at our state-of-the art production facility in Chakan, Pune. Quality has all along been the strength of Mercedes-Benz India, and the new S 500 production in India is set to take this success story even further.”

The locally made car sees some changes over the fully imported model. It gets new alloys and a new wood trim on the inside. The steering wheel comes wrapped in leather (instead of wood and leather trim on it), in the rear, the sound system is a Burmester one without 3D surround system and the upholstery is plain leather instead of nappa.

The carmaker also started up an initiative known as the S-class chauffeur training program – a 21-module multilingual course that focusses on enabling chauffeurs to use all the tech available on the new S-class effectively.

The local assembly enables the manufacturer to capitalise on costs and the new Mercedes-Benz S-class is now priced at Rs 1.36 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

Courtesy: AutoCarIndia dot com

Mercedes CLA 45 AMG

Powering this top-spec CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake is expected to be the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine as in the A45 AMG hatch.

The upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake has been spotted testing for the first time ahead of its scheduled international launch next year.

While almost identical to the standard CLA45 AMG at the front, the rear of the sport brake is expected to get an all-new AMG-styled bumper and the same quad exhausts as the A45 AMG hatchback. 

The CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake is the performance variant of the planned CLA Shooting Brake range, which will become the fifth and final model selection to sit on Mercedes' MFA platform. Other models already using the compact front and all-wheel-drive architecture include the A and B-class, the new GLA and the regular CLA. The new Shooting Brake range was formally announced in 2012.

CLA Shooting Brake models will retain a similar silhouette to the larger CLS Shooting Brake, especially around the roofline; the car also appears to have kept the same rear light clusters as the standard CLA.

Powering this top-spec CLA45 AMG Shooting Brake is expected to be the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine as in the A45 AMG hatch. That means 355bhp and 45.9kgm of torque. 

Other engines set to power the rest of the CLA Shooting Brake range should echo the current CLA line-up. That means an entry-level four-cylinder 1.8-litre diesel engine with 136bhp, rising to a 170bhp 2.0-litre unit in the AMG-tuned version. Petrol engines should be lead by a base 122bhp 1.6-litre unit, rising to a 211bhp 2.0-litre AMG unit higher up.

While both the standard Mercedes CLA compact sedan and the CLA45 AMG is expected to come to India, there is no news of the the Shooting Brake to make it to our showrooms.

Coutesy: AutoCarIndia dot com

C CLASS MERCEDES BENZ WITH A NEW STYLISH LOOK

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the all-new fourth-generation C-Class sedan which is a huge leap from the previous generation models. The sedan has increased dimensions and weighs lesser in comparison to the outgoing car. This car bears the codename W205 and will officially debut at the 2013 Detroit Motor Show. The W205 is heavily influenced by the design language incorporated in the latest Mercedes S-Class. The C-Class also displays a hint of the smaller CLA on the side profile. This car is no more sold as the entry-level offering from the German automaker. It has the A-Class, B-Class and the CLA models positioned below and the E-Class positioned above. Mercedes-Benz has increased the dimensions of the car in-line with its rivals, the BMW 3-series and Audi A4.

The Mercedes C-Class based on the MRA (Mercedes Rearwheel Architecture) has grown by 95 mm in length measuring 4686 mm overall and 40 mm in width measuring 1810 mm overall. The wheelbase has also been increased by 80 mm to measure 2840 mm. This increase in dimensions of the car has resulted in increased cabin space at the front and rear of the car. The boot capacity has also been marginally increased by 5 litres to 480 litres. The new C-Class has shed nearly 100 kgs of weight owing to the optimum usage of aluminium hybrid body which is lighter than the conventional steel body. The fuel efficiency of the car as a result is slated to increase by 20 percent.

The interiors of the fourth generation Mercedes C-Class is similar to the CLA while being extremely stylish and of high quality. The steering gets a flat bottom making it appear more premium while a touchpad interface is also on offer. The touchpad interface can be used for the infotainment system and a BMW-like heads-up display that displays speed and navigation related information is also offered. However, this feature will be optional. The exteriors of the vehicle is in line with its bigger siblings. The headlamps look similar to the new E-Class while the wide front grille is derived from the S-Class. Also, the front bumper with big dams is AMG styled. The C-Class also gets optional Airmatic suspension in this new-generation model.

The 2015 Mercedes C-Class will be offered with 3 engine options including one diesel and two petrols. The range starts with the C180 which gets a 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 156 BHP of power and 250 Nm of torque. The C200 will be a 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 184 BHP of power and 300 Nm of torque. The diesel option is the C220 BlueTec that comes with a 2.1-litre diesel engine producing 170 BHP of and 400 Nm of torque. The gearbox options include a 6-speed manual and 7G-Tronic Plus Automatic. However, the engine choices offered will be increased with more 1.6-litre petrol and diesel engines including a hybrid motor. Also, a new 9-speed automatic transmission vehicle will be on offer.

The safety features on the new C-Class is expected to blow away rivals. The company offers Stereo Multi Purpose Camera (SMPC), Sensor Fusion technology, Attention Assist feature, Advanced Active Lane Keeping Assist, Brake Assist BAS PLUS, Active Park Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus amongst a host of safety features. The W205 Mercedes C-Class will make its India debut at the 2014 Auto Expo. The price tag is expected to be a tad premium in comparison to its predecessor.

Read more at MotorBeam

Mercedes-Benz ML 250 - INR 46.5 Lacs

Last-month, we reported that Mercedes-Benz reported is aiming to assemble their SUVs M and GL-Class in India by early 2013. Today the company launched their first assembled car in India M-Class, the ML250CDI. The ML250 CDI is priced at an attractive Rs 46.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is Rs 10.4 lakh cheaper than the more powerful 350 CDI variant. Mercedes has aimed the ML250 CDI squarely with the likes of the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 which are actually a segment lower.

Powered by a 2143 cc diesel engine generating 151.5 kW @ 4200 rpm and 500 Nm torque @ 1600-1800 rpm, thank to the 7G TRONIC Plus automatic transmission. Mercedes Benz India states that the new ML250 CDI has a top speed of 210 kmph and an acceleration time of 9.0 seconds for 0-100 kmph. New Mercedes Benz ML 250 will return a mileage of 15.26 kmpl. It features 18″ ten spoke alloys while a kerb weight of 2160 kgs. Where dimensions are concerned, the new Mercedes SUV is 4808 mm long, 1906 mm wide and 1796 high. It has a wheelbase of 2915 mm.

2012 Mercedez Benz B-Class MPV Sports Tourer

Mercedes Benz India will unveil the B-Class Sports Tourer on the 19th of July, 2012. The B-Class will be positioned as a sports tourer and will be the German luxury car brand’s least priced offering in India. The car is expected to generate big volumes for Mercedes Benz India even as the brand tries to fight its way back to the top. Currently, Mercedes Benz is the third largest luxury car maker in India, after BMW and Audi. Mercedes Benz will assemble the the B-Class Sports Tourer in India through the completely knocked down(CKD) at Chakan, off Pune.

2012 Mercedes Benz B-Class Sports Tourer

Market Rumors flow about 2012 Mercedez Benz B-Class

Mercedes Benz India has made no bones about the fact that it intends to capture back market share that it has lost to competitors and compatriots, Audi and BMW over the past couple of years or so, with a slew of product launches aiming to bring in big volumes. The first car in this new crop of Mercs will be the 2012 B-Class Sports Tourer, which could break cover as early as July 2012, according to a report carried by our friends over at Overdrive. The 2012 B-Class sport tourer will be Mercedes Benz India’s entry level product, competing in the same price range as that of the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1 crossovers.

2012 Mercedes Benz B-Class Sports Tourer

Images of the least priced AMG

Mercedes Benz, a world leader in branded Luxury car segment, with the German luxury and sports car makers’ AMG performance division outselling both BMW and Audi’s high performance division. The key to Mercedes Benz’s success has been the sheer number of models it has in its line up, what with the brand having an AMG massaged variant of almost every high volume car, and this includes SUVs too. Now, Mercedes Benz has released images and the first details of the 2013 Mercedes Benz A45 AMG high performance sports hatchback.

2013 Mercedes Benz A-Class A45 AMG Hatchback Prototype