SCOOP- Mercedes-Benz to Launch 4 Cars in Next 6 Months

The German trio-BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are having a close battle in India, and trying everything possible to become the leading luxury car brand in the country. But Mercedes-Benz being the oldest luxury car brand in the country has a special affection towards it as they are the ones, who developed the culture of luxury cars in India. To earn a larger market share, Mercedes-Benz is all set to launch several vehicles in the year 2013. Mercedes Benz G63, E-Class facelift, B-Class Diesel and A-class hatchback are the four vehicles to come in the first six months.

First to enter the market is Mercedes Benz G63 AMG, which keeps the signature design elements of the original Gelandewagon. The all new G63 AMG will be replacing the existing G55 AMG, which too has been a tremendous off-roading capable SUV. Under the hood is AMG's 5.5-litre, bi-turbo V8 petrol engine that mated to the newly designed AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic AT churns out the maximum power output of 553bhp and 760Nm of torque. And it sprints 0-100kmpl in 5.4 seconds, although with a limited top speed of just 208kmph. One more noticeable factor is the improved fuel efficiency by about 13 percent over its predecessor, thanks to the new age engine and gearbox combination.

The other upcoming vehicle is the E-Class facelift, which is there in the Indian market for about a couple of years. but now with the new Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series, it's the right time for the vehicle to get a makeover. Expected to launch in June 2013, the E-Class facelift gets some changes like integrated headlamps (twin headlamps are now merged into a single unit), revised grille, more crowned hood, revamped front bumper, day-time LED lamps, blacked-out panoramic roof, although rear remains almost the same. Inside the cabin as well, you would not see many changes, however with the new steering wheel and new controls, it has certainly got sportier than before.

Mercedes-Benz India that launched the B-Class Sports Tourer, the entry-level three-pointed star in the country by far, is going to get the diesel version of the vehicle in June 2013. While the existing petrol variant houses the four-cylinder, in-line 1595cc, direct-injection, turbo-petrol motor mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch box, the upcoming diesel version will have a 1.8-litre diesel mill. We are expecting it to be priced around Rs. 30 lakh, however nothing on the pricing has been officially said yet.

Last but certainly not the least, Mercedes-Benz A-Class is one of the most anticipated launches of the giant in India, as it will be a proper premium hatchback in the country. Launched globally some months back, the A-Class will come to India by July 2013. It will be the second of four vehicles developed on Mercedes- Benz's newly developed front-wheel drive MFA platform, the B-Class is the first FWD MFA platform based model.

The A-class in India will have a 1.8-litre turbo-diesel motor, which churns out the maximum of 134bhp mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The same engine will power the B-Class diesel as well. If speculations are to believed, Mercedes-Benz might also launch the special AMG edition of the A-Class in India later. The A-Class will be priced at about Rs 20lakhs.