The Indian arm of Mercedes-Benz, the globally renowned makers of the 'Three Pointed Star' vehicles, has shifted gears, in order to reclaim its title of the numero uno position in the premium luxury car market of the country. Evidently, Mercedes-Benz India is all revved up towards the launch of its premium Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) M-Class 250 CDI in the domestic market on October 10, 2012.
The upcoming M-Class 250 CDI SUV is believed to come with a trimmed down engine of the third generation M-Class Series, which currently holds a 3.0 litre diesel powerplant with Turbo-Chargers. Reportedly, the M-Class 250 CDI incorporates a four cylinder 2.2 litre diesel power-mill under it hood, which churns a peak power-torque output of around 200 bhp and 500 Nm, respectively.
Reportedly, the German automobile marque will market the yet-to-be launched M-Class 250 CDI in the Indian premium SUV market via the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) route, thereby the domestic audience could find some respite in the pricing of the car. Evidently, the new M-Class SUV is believed to be assembled at the German auto maker's Chakan based facility near Pune.
Mercedes-Benz India has definitely upped the ante against the likes of its eternal German rivals BMW and Audi. BMW knocked over Mercedes-Benz off its top perch in the Indian premium luxury car market in 2009 and since then, both the German automobile giants are fiercely fighting for market domination. Currently, Mercedes-Benz trails at third spot behind BMW and Audi who are at first and second positions, respectively in terms of total vehicle sales in the country.
Marking its aggressive strategy towards the domestic market, Mercedes-Benz recently launched its most economical car, the B-Class Sports Tourer on the Indian turf in September within a price bracket of Rs. 21.47 lacs and Rs. 24.87 lacs. Evidently, the current M-Class 350 CDI SUV comes at a price tag of around Rs. 58 lacs and thus, the toned down M-Class 250 CDI is anticipated to fetch a price close to Rs. 47-50 lacs in the country. Upon launch, the M-Class 250 CDI SUV will be pitched in a direct tussle against the likes of BMW X3 and Audi Q5 in the Indian premium SUV car market.
