Mercedes-Benz S-Guard armoured limousine launched in India at Rs 8.9 crore

Mercedes-Benz has launched the S-Guard flagship armoured car in India at Rs 8.9 Crore, ex-showroom Delhi. A top of the line luxury car combined with top class armour makes the S-Guard a de facto choice for the car buyer who requires protection as well as luxury. Considering that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi gets ferried in a BMW 7 Series, that is fairly old, Mercedes-Benz is making a strong case for a replacement with this new S-Guard.

The S-Guard isn’t the first armoured Mercedes vehicle to go on sale in India however. Mercedes’ armoured fleet already includes the E-Class and M-Class but for those who will not settle for anything less than the pinnacle of luxury, this car does make a lot of sense. It comes with the highest level of ballistic protection – VR9 certification against firearms and explosives. The S-Guard is built right at the assembly line, not armoured as a aftermarket product on an assembled S-Class. And that helps Mercedes build its armour right from the chassis stage.

Components made of aramide, polyethylene and a variety of special steels are used during construction of the S-Guard. The S-Guard also gets underbody protection and thick polycarbonate-coated glass. There’s more kit too – a panic alarm system, automatic fire suppression system, emergency fresh air system and stronger hydraulic power windows.

All the armour and safety systems does weigh the car down so Mercedes has recalibrated the air suspension, given the car larger brakes and Michelin run flats with a tyre pressure monitoring system. And then there’s the engine, the top of the line 6.0-litre V12 mill under the hood dishing out a healthy 530PS of power and a colossal 830Nm of torque. The S600 Guard is limited to a top speed of 210kmph. It can be ordered as a four or five seater.

All that available torque will come in handy when you are trying to outrun bullets. We’ll tell you exactly a monstrous V12 feels like under the hood of a car that’s meant to coast in a few hours. Stay tuned for our review