mb. Connect! with Farhan Akhtar

Mercedes Benz believes in connecting with owners, enthusiasts and fans at the core level and the ‘Star Drive’ is one such media of establishing such connection. After providing some hardcore adrenaline pumping moments all over India, the Mercedes Benz ‘Star drive’ experience hit Mumbai. This unrivalled experience showcased the unparalleled performance of Mercedes Benz products combined with the sophistication in terms of engineering, technology and pure luxury. The intensity was further raised by the presence of Mercedes Benz Customer and Bollywood superstar Farhan Akhtar.

Mercedes Benz and success are two words which often go hand in hand and Farhan Akhtar has had the best of both. On this edition of mb connect, Farhan tests the limits of the Mercedes cars at Juhu aerodrome and answers questions posted by facebook fans in a candid session with Mr. Debasis Mitra. Farhan Akhtar’s association with bollywood goes back to more than a decade. Having delivered blockbusters such as Dil Chahta Hai, Don and Zingadi Na Milege Dobara, he shares a special passion for Mercedes Benz cars and also happens to be the first owner of the ultimate SUV, the all new ML Class. 

Out of the many questions posted by fans, Farhan answered the selected questions with utmost enthusiasm. He has a special liking for SUV’s and has done a road trip all around Europe in the ML Class and said he feels absolutely relaxed and comfortable when he is behind the wheel of his favourite Mercedes. He rarely prefers to be a passenger and is eager to jump into the driver’s seat and relish the Mercedes Benz driving experience. Farhan proclaims himself to be lucky to be the first owner of the ML Class and vows to put this mighty SUV to the limit of its tremendous capability. Being completely a family man, Farhan gives due importance to his family for their opinions on buying a car. Versatility is one of his key attributes and it’s not easy to be an actor, director, producer, writer and singer at the same time and Farhan would like to leave it to his fans as to how they will like to remember him. 

That’s all from this edition of mb connect with Farhan Akhtar, stay tuned for the next mb connect with a special star.

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

Mercedes-Benz Magazine

Mercedes Benz owners and enthusiasts have a rich taste in different colours of life and have an enduring quest for excellence and perfection.

This is exactly what the Mercedes Benz Magazine is all about. Mercedes Benz is the first to start its own premium lifestyle magazine which caters to the tastes of such people. This magazine has a colourful history and has featured noted celebrities around the world. The core philosophy of luxury has driven the magazine since its inception in 1954. Mercedes Benz has now unveiled the ‘Second Anniversary’ edition of this exclusive lifestyle magazine in India. 

Edited by renowned author Chetan Bhagat, the Second Anniversary Edition contains an exclusive interview with the living legend, seven time world champion Michael Schumacher and his team mate Nico Rosberg of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team. Also featured in this edition are ‘Candid Confessions’ with Bollywood style icon and celebrity Malaika Arora Khan. The Magazine caters to a wide array of audience with sumptuous dose of lifestyle elements comprising the best from the world of design, art, culture, fashion, cinema, sports, racing, music, glitz and glamour, technology, travel, food and architectural innovation. Emotionally appealing photos, high quality design and typography with a light touch goes with the high standards Mercedes Benz sets with their cars. 

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kumble, Vidya Balan, are amongst some of the famous Indian personalities featured in the magazine. The magazine boasts of selected international content which gives the global imagery and quality while the Indian content adds the local feel and correlation.

Mercedes Benz cares for the environment and takes necessary steps towards a greener future. The Mercedes Benz Magazine is made of non wood paper and will be reaching out to more than 50,000 people. It is already available at leading premium book stores and will be priced at a premium of Rs 200. As a technologically oriented company, the Magazine will be available for the first time in Ipad format.

What are you waiting for? Grab your copy now. 

The world beckons. Don’t trail behind.

Work life and its routines more often than not get the better of us.

There's a world out there that beckons to be explored. All it takes is that first bold step. The life of an explorer is riddled with the unknown, the constant notion of not knowing what lies ahead. Only those who venture off the beaten track get to witness the world in all its splendour. Mercedes-Benz India celebrates the explorer in you with its Ultimate Touring Trails Contest. This is a contest that fuels the adventurer in you, driving you to experience the bolder side of life.


Have it in you to battle out the waves as you river raft? Want to scorch the sky as you sky dive? Thirsting to discover new depths as you scuba dive? The Ultimate Touring Trails Contest is for you. This tour will take you on an adventure like never before. Experience breath-taking locations and challenging adventure sports with your favourite celebrities. Meet your favourite stars including Reitesh & Genelia Deshmukh, Kalki Koechlin & Gaurav Kapoor as they push their limits and yours with these sports. Visit our website www.readytob.in to sign up for the tour now.


Think you want to take your own tour and conquer the world on your terms? It's time to take to the road with India's first Sports Tourer the new B-Class from Mercedes-Benz India . Get Ready to B!