Mercedes-Benz India shines in 2010

In our quest for a ZigWheels special story for this festive season, a whole bunch of ideas were flying through the team. We were looking for an article that had opulence and aspirations in line with the season’s sentiment, but also one that had effort, progress, and most importantly a sense of optimism for the future. Reviewing our news archives, we couldn't help but notice that one luxury car maker has been in the news consistently through 2010. Digging a little deeper, our news saturated brains were also reminded of how various and widespread the model launches, technology reviews and events reported were. We had our story, and looking at the pictures, we need not tell you which manufacturer it is about.

In its fifteen-year long presence in the country, Mercedes-Benz has usually enjoyed a position of prominence when it comes to luxury cars. That being said, compatriot competition had crept up with equally competent products in recent times, along with a more different and individualistic treatment, and the company had been losing small bits of its ground. Some attribute this to be the trigger for the recent, almost frantic pace of activity from the marque, but what matters is that few international carmakers which work in the sphere of the low-volume luxury car business have been as aggressive or innovative with their strategies as Mercedes-Benz. Here’s what has gone behind the making of a stellar year for the three-pointed star.

Bring 'em in!

The most striking part of the Mercedes-Benz run in 2010 has been the sheer number of launches it has managed this year. What started with the launch of the S500L at the Auto Expo in January as the most expensive car assembled in India was carried through right to the point of writing this article. From the gorgeous and acclaimed SLS AMG to the recent, classy people-carrying R-Class, right up to the monstrous yet elegant GL-Class SUV, there seems to have been almost no waste of time in getting the best from around the world into India, pronto. The move certainly has enhanced the company’s portfolio which now offers buyers to choose more from, but there is another side to the launch story. The launch of a staggering 20 models and variants in the span of ten months means that a Merc product has been in the news every fortnight, on an average.

Variety is the spice

The list of launches may read long, but some may say that variants don’t necessary count as launches. While a majority of the 20 launches have new and upgraded engines, there have also been variants that have completely different characters compared to their originals. The best example for this is E-Class, which was brought in last year but came into its own in 2010, thanks to the E-Coupe and the E-Cabriolet. Even though these options of different stylings in the same car have been available internationally for a while, the new E-Class became one of the few cars in India to be available in three different body styles. Again, the year marked breaking new ground for Mercedes-Benz.

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Tech-focus

Read through the list of launches and resting sneakily in there are the C and E-class cars, with the 200 CGI badge on them. The C 200 CGI BlueEfficiency engine is Merc’s first 4-cylinder unit with direct injection technology. While the engine and the technology in general has been acclaimed internationally thanks to the enhanced refinement that upped the luxury quotient, the launch of cars with this engine in India make even more sense given the fuel efficiency benefits it offers over the Kompressor engine it replaces. While the competition has also been on the ball when it comes to technology, the CGI move showed that the company understands the market, and wants to supply with respect to its demands, be it the products or the technology used in them.

Jump on the bus

2010 also marked a progressive point for the commercial vehicle business of the company – its buses, to be more specific. After launching intercity multi-axle buses at the Auto Expo, the company shook up the competition in the Indian urban mass transport industry by announcing its interest and plans of its entry into the city bus space. After conduction product clinics based on low-floor and semi-low floor test mules, the company also laid the foundation of its new facility for the body building of its city-buses housed within their already existing Chakan plant in Pune. With clients like the Karnataka State Road Transport Corp warming up to the multi-axle offerings, 2011 should see the first city buses sporting the three-pointed star. And, you won’t have to be a millionaire to hitch a ride in them.

Looking ahead

2011 promises to be an action packed year as well. The company has 16 new launches and upgrades slated for the international market, and it won’t be a big surprise if they find their way to India next year itself. Irrespective, with the rate at which the star is rising back to power in India, the future holds many more promises.