The luxury car segment of Indian auto market is usually partitioned into 3-4 sections by the car companies. Auto makers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have differentiated their creations into so called basic, mid and high-end luxury. Where BMW 3 and 5 Series look ostentatious but have a moderate price as against the superiorly luxurious 7 series, similar trend is followed by Mercedes-Benz. The latter's C-class and E-Class have their base models priced at much lower lever as compared to S-Class, which is an epitome of opulence. The German duo has been rivalling since past 4 decades and the competition seems never ending in every segment. Latest bells have been rung by Mercedes-Benz with its all new S-Class, which has been officially launched on January 8. This car will have BMW 7 series as a stiff contender and it will be a dilemma for the niches to chose among these two options.
BMW 7 series is available in 3 variants, namely 730Ld, which happens to be its base variant, with price tag of Rs. 96 lakh. 750Li and 760Li are the mid and high-end models respectively, which are offered in petrol engines. The base model of 730Ld is incorporated with a 3.0-litre diesel mill producing a maximum power of 258 bhp with peak torque of 560 Nm. This rear wheel drive model is supported by an 8-speed automatic transmission and can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in just 6.2 seconds. On the other hand, BMW 750Li is equipped with a 4.4-litre petrol unit that churns out 450 bhp of peak power with 650 Nm highest torque. Assisted by an 8-speed automatic gear shift, this car attains 0-100 kmph mark in just 4.8 seconds. Furthermore, 760Li has a mammoth 6.0-litre petrol mill under its hood which produces enormous 544 bhp with peak torque of 750 Nm. 8-speed automatic transmission is standard and the car reaches 0-100 kmph in minuscule 4.6 seconds.
Apart from engine performance, all other features are standard at exterior and interior of BMW 7 Series. The front fascia exhibits chrome furnished slats and the bonnet is quite sleek to provide aerodynamic assistance to the car. Also, newly designed LEDs are provided in the car for efficient daytime running. At rear, the car flaunts exquisitely designed trapezoidal dual exhaust pipes. Interiors are luxuriously carved with finely stitched leather upholstery, while modish consoles are lumped on its main panel. Multifunctional instrument display is provided with navigation and infotainment system. Also the control display with BMW's iDrive controller works on the company's ConnectedDrive technology, assisting the driver in all hurdles. 16 active speakers from Bang and Olufsen are equipped inside for superior level entertainment of passengers. Two high resolution display screens are also provided for the rear seats.
On the other hand, all new Mercedes-Benz S-Class have the legendary S500 as its first model. It will be incorporated with a 4.6-litre twin turbocharged petrol engine that churns out 460 bhp of peak power with torque of up to 700 Nm. It will be assisted by a 7-speed tronic plus automatic transmission. Also, it is expected that after the launch of this car, S350 will also join the line-up by the end of 2014 and it will be available in both diesel and petrol fuel options. Coming to the styling of Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it looks much more grunt at exterior. With the roofline bending steeply, the car resembles much to a coupe. Also, the chassis is made much lighter for agile movement of the car. At interiors, it comprises some exclusive luxury features of massage consoles on all 4 seats that relaxes passengers in 15 different ways. Seats are much more comfy and ensure the utmost soothing ride even in city traffic.
A dual touchscreen is provided at the dashboard of new S-Class. For rear passengers, two large screen LCDs are provided for entertainment purpose. Interestingly, the car illuminates with multi-coloured ambient lighting as soon as one opens the door. With all these features, the pricing of all new Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been kept at Rs. 1.57 crore and it will be contending with BMW 7 Series, which falls in almost a similar price bracket. Experts are of a view that Mercedes-Benz will competitively price the upcoming S350 to compete with the likes of BMW 730Ld; however the former will have a beneficial edge as it will introduce the model in both fuel trims. It will be interesting to see on what level this rivalry goes and how the prospective buyers react to it in the near future.
