Mercedes-Benz India has hosted a dinner for online media in Pune yesterday and Indian Autos Blog was one of the select invitees.
The dinner was part of Mercedes' annual blogger's meet and over the dinner we caught up with Mercedes India's newly appointed Managing Director and CEO Mr. Eberhard. H. Kern.The MD shared few information with us.
Mr. Kern said that the new GL Class would be launched in May, first as a CBU which will be imported from the Alabama plant in the US. However, the GL will be locally assembled at Pune facility for domestic market by second half of 2013.
The India bound GL Class will employ a 2,987cc CRDI motor that puts out 255bhp and 632Nm and will be mated to the Mercedes' 7-speed automatic transmission.
Mr. Kern said that the CLA Class which was unveiled in Detroit earlier this month, was not a secret model and is planned for India in 2014.
The CLA Class which is basically an A Class sedan would be an important model for India since it will be the most affordable sedan to bear the three pointed star badge. The sedan makes use of an engine lineup which include three petrol and one diesel engine.
The petrol variants include 122 bhp CLA 180, 156 bhp CLA 200, and range topping CLA 250 with 211 bhp. The all important CLA 220 CDI diesel churns out 170 bhp. For India, the diesel engine is a no brainer but it remains to be seen which petrol engine will be offered.
