Mercedes-Benz India launches the B-Class

Mercedes-Benz India launches the B-Class; pioneers the category of Sport Tourers in India

• The new B-Class combines sportiness, style and safety with functional needs of space which is very important for India. – Creates a new category of “Sports Touring” for premium compact cars
• The new B-Class exceeds expectations with all units sold out for 2012. New Bookings get deliveries in Jan 2013
• The young and trendy design of the new B-Class complemented by a unique marketing strategy: intensive digital foot print, focus on active lifestyle
• The new B-Class loaded with Luxury & features never seen in this segment of cars, sets a benchmark

Mumbai: The young Indian today is aggressive, dynamic and trendy. Their lifestyle is characterised by adventure, thrill and sophistication on one hand and refinement, practicality and elegance on the other. There is thus a need for refinement and luxury combined with sporty, dynamic characteristics in their selection of mobility options. The new B-Class is a Sports Tourer that delivers exactly these facets, combining the versatility of a MUV, ride quality of a sedan and dynamic performance of a SUV.

Globally, the B-Class has been a run-away success with over 75000 units sold within the first few months of its launch. It is a path breaking product in every sense of the term: it is the first of Mercedes-Benz’s premium compact cars, and boasts the extremely sporty design coupled with 7G-DCT, Dual Clutch Transmission with paddle shift which is normally found in high end sports cars like the SLS AMG. The core Mercedes-Benz values of safety and reliability have been taken to new levels with the car having 7 airbags including a knee airbag – A first for any car in this segment. Also, features like Attention Assist, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Acceleration Skid Control (ASR), Brake Assist System (BAS) and a tyre pressure loss warning indicator makes it one of the safest Sports Tourer available anywhere in the world.

The sporty appeal of the B-Class is further complemented by its panoramic sunroof, a sports package and aggressive body styling, dual exhaust, perforated disc brakes, Bi Xenons and special alloy wheels which are seen for the first time in a car of this segment in India. The “Vario seat” concept makes the space in the new B-Class equivalent to many SUV’s & a fuel efficiency of 14.81 KMPL (As per ARAI) makes it one of the most fuel efficient cars in the segment. Available in two variants B 180 and the B 180 Sport, the price starts from Rs 21.49 lakhs and goes up to Rs 24.87 Lakhs for the Sport variant. ( All prices are Mumbai ex showroom)

The trendy and innovative new B-Class is being marketed by Mercedes-Benz India in an equally Innovative manner. Mercedes-Benz India’s unique “Ultimate Touring Trails” contest has witnessed participation from over 1 Lakh people and celebrates an active lifestyle. It has used only Social media during pre launch of the car which marks a new approach to Luxury automotive marketing.

Mr. Debashis Mitra, Director, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India: “We are extremely excited with the initial response of the B-Class in India. Our Strategy of introducing the segment & then launching the car has been well received by our customers. The huge response only demonstrates that the Three Pointed Star is easily the most aspired brand in India and kicks off a beginning of our product offensive in next couple of year in India.”

He further added “The sell out of the new B-Class in the pre launch phase convinces us that there is a latent demand for ‘Sports Tourers’ in India and they are looking forward for cars loaded with features”

Technical Specifications:

TECHNICAL DATA		B180	B180 Sport
Arrangement/No of Cylinders		In-line/4
Total displacement (cc)		1595
Rated output (kW @ rpm)		90 @ 5000
Rated torque (Nm @ rpm)		200 @ 1250 - 4000
Acceleration (0-100 kmph, sec)		10.2
Top speed (km/h)		190
Tyre Size, front/rear		205/55 R16	225/45 R17
Fuel		Petrol
Tank Capacity (l)/reserve approx		50/6
Boot Capacity (l)		486 to 1545
Turning Circle diameter (m)		11
Kerb weight (kg)		1425
Permissible gross vehicle weight (kg)		1950
L  x W x H (mm)		4359 x 1786 x 1557
Wheelbase (mm)		2699

Inherited agility. Comprehending the C-Class

Experience a new generation of agility with the C-Class from Mercedes-Benz. An automobile crafted for speed, the C-Class provides thrills like no other. Confident yet captivating, the C-Class is the perfect blend of sportiness and state-of-the-art innovations.

Available in petrol and diesel variants, the C-Class delivers uncompromising efficiency in an automobile that impresses in every detail.  While the C-Class rolled out initially in 1993, we’ve never stopped perfecting it since. Its subsequent iterations have resulted in a car that is the true harbinger of speed. The 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission ensures that the C-Class makes its mark both on the track and off it. Its proven record of wins cumulated with the 2010 DTM championship where a C-Class took first place in nine out of eleven DTM races.

Styled to exhilarate as much as it accelerates, the C-Class is easy to pick out from the crowd with a powerful and provocative front section. This styling is carried even within with the dashboard, surfaces and trims that espouse speed at every corner. The result is an automobile that looks like its speeding even when at a standstill. 

This speed comes with features that ensure a responsible drive. BlueEFFICIENCY technologies ensure reduced emissions while a slew of safety features like ATTENTION ASSIST, AGILITY CONTROL and Intelligent Light System ensure for a safe drive. The result, a perfect combination in a car that delivers agility, style and substance.  The Mercedes-Benz blog explores facets of this amazing automobile right here in subsequent posts. Stay tuned.

Our passion connects us.

Mercedes-Benz India does a live webcast on mb. Connect!

Recently, Mercedes Benz India added another first to its name. We are the first automobile company in the country to talk directly to our customers and those who admire the brand, through a live webcast. We took this initiative to give you an insider's perspective of what it takes to make these dream machines a reality. We shared some lesser known facts of our cars and discussed the complexities of the cutting-edge technology that brings the fascination alive. 

The mb. Connect! event was conducted through a live stream. The questions were fielded by Mr. Debashis Mitra – Head of Marketing & Sales, Mercedes-Benz India. We sorted through over 500 questions submitted to us and got some interesting insights from Mr. Mitra as he shared his immense knowledge of the brand. 

We will bring you more such interactive sessions where you can connect with important people behind the scenes who share your passion for Mercedes-Benz India. 

To engage with Mercedes-Benz India, just log on to www.mbconnect.in.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class, C-Class and E-Class take four first places in customer survey in Germany

Taking four first places with the A-Class, C-Class and E-Class, Mercedes-Benz has turned up a clear winner in terms of driver satisfaction, according to JD Power in Germany, a market research company that conducts surveys of customer satisfaction research on new car quality and long-term dependability. The German car maker has also been voted as the strongest brand in the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) AutoMarxX study, Europe’s largest automobile club with more than 18 million members as of May 2012. A little over 14,000 drivers in Germany responded to the online survey to assess the quality and reliability of the cars, which is the basis for the JD Power 2012 Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study (VOSS). All the cars had to be driven for around two years.

“We are delighted that we have once again been able to secure the top places in the JD Power Study 2012. Our aim in the future is to continue to set the highest of standards, not only in terms of quality, service and ecology, but, of course also with our exciting designs, inspirational technology and high levels of driving pleasure. As a result we hope that the Mercedes-Benz brand will continue to be extremely well received by our customers,” said Joachim Schmidt, member of the board of Mercedes-Benz cars responsible for sales and marketing.

The company emerged as the winner in the Overall VOSS ranking with the C-Class taking the podium for the third time in succession, the E-Class winning the award for the second consecutive year and the A-Class scoring top marks for satisfaction in the compact class. Also Read: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 350: First Drive

Based on the responses, market researchers drew up comprehensive lists of vehicles achieving best satisfaction, comprising 79 models from 25 manufacturers in eight categories.