Mercedes-Benz has taken its biggest bet in India yet with the launch of the B-Class premium hatchback on Tuesday. Its new entry model, the B 180 ‘Sports Tourer’ has been aggressively positioned with a starting price of Rs 21.49 lakh and Rs 24.87 lakh for the sports variant.
This makes the B-Class cheaper than any model currently offered by competitors such as BMW, Audi or Jaguar Land Rover. In fact, it is cheaper than many premium sedans sold in the country such as the Volkswagen Passat (Rs 22.45 lakh) and, Toyota Camry (Rs 23.8 lakh).
The car is significant for Mercedes as it is expected to give the luxury carmaker a significant push in volumes — it currently trails BMW and Audi in third position in the Indian luxury car market.
Debashis Mitra, Director, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India, said the B180 has already been sold out till the end of the year. New bookings will now get deliveries in January 2013.
Initially, the B-Class will be available with a petrol engine, with the diesel engine expected to be launched next year. The Sports Tourer aims to combine the versatility of a MUV, the ride quality of a sedan and dynamic performance of a SUV.
It features seven-gear Dual Clutch Transmission with paddle shift, apart from seven airbags, including a knee airbag. Other features include an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), Acceleration Skid Control (ASR), Brake Assist System (BAS). The company claims a fuel efficiency of 14.81 kmpl.