When the unsuspecting Mercedes crew are filming for the promos far away from the prying eyes of the bhp paparazzi, a cyclist with a video camera decided to advance the unveiling ceremony through a Youtube upload.

Mercedes Benz must be pissed.

Mercedes is introducing the 5-door hatchback before the sedan and the SUV bodystyles (all three could reach India in the next two years) according to our friends at CarScoop. The hatchback is a direct competitor to the likes of the Audi A3 (which is also moving to the next generation at the Geneva Motor Show next month) and the BMW’s new 1 Series introduced last year.

Designed around the Concept A-Class showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo last month, its fair to say Mercedes’ A-Class has edged out its rivals to take the crown of the most creative design in its crop.

[Source - CarScoop.blogspot.com]

Features exclusively reserved for the Grand edition include unique alloy wheels with 20-inch tyres finished in grey metallic, two-tone leather seats with two sets of color combinations, dark-tinted headlights, radiator grille with black and high sheen louvres, LED lights on the bumper, heat-eliminating glass, velour floor mats and ‘Grand Edition’ badges.

The vehicle continues to be powered by the 3-liter V6 diesel engine pumping out 224hp and 510Nm of peak torque paired to a 7-speed automatic transmission.

It is very early to predict engine options but MotorAuthority tells us that a turbocharged 1.8-liter petrol engine, a V6 petrol and a range of diesel engines will be mated to an eight- or possibly even a nine-speed automatic. A V8 with 450+hp with an AMG badge on it will also be in the making and so will a hybrid version mated to an electric motor that develops around 27 PS (20 kW / 27 hp).

Where BMW opted in for a love-it-or-hate-it design for the new 3 Series (F30), Mercedes is going to play safe by tweaking the existing the design. Although the test mule is covered in heavy camouflage, one can easily figure out that the proportions are not changing.

The front grill may be a bit oval than on its predecessor. The headlamps are inspired by the new CLS’s design. The tail lamps are likely to be a cross between the styling of the CLS and new SL-Class.

As for the body types – a four door sedan, a coupe, a wagon and a two-door convertible are in the making. Stay tuned as we get you more dope on the development of the 2014 C-Class.

[Source: MotorAuthority]

The company popularly known at the Stuttgart star sold 1.26 million Mercedes-branded cars in 2011, about 120,000 short of the BMW brand. This means that the company is planning to more than double its output comes 2020. In order to achieve this production target the German czar has set a new North American plant would begin manufacturing the next generation A-Class by 2017.

Further adding to the capacity would be a new plant in China and another in either the United States or Mexico to meet the target.

In this fight for volumes, Mercedes is not compromising the profitability. It would match the volume target with an operating margin of more than 10 percent in 2020.

[Source: AutoNews.com]

 Mercedes India invited IAB to the launch of the JPSI-AMG Performance Driving Academy and our racer Gaurav Malik was more than happy to oblige. Here is what he had to say -

Have you ever been to one of those religious programs which are meant to enrich and soothe souls? That’s exactly the kind of treatment I got at the Buddh international circuit where Mercedes Benz India kicked off their Performance Driving academy.

The sound of roaring cars, the smell of burning rubber and the name – Buddh International Circuit, sounds like we’re about to reflect on last year’s F1 race, right?

Well not exactly.

Fueled by the immense success of F1 in India, and the racing scene that’s about to explode, Mercedes India introduced a one-of-a-kind performance driving academy. Sounds unbelievable? Well, it was nothing short of that.

After a short safety briefing, we were introduced to the cars – Merecdes C63, E63 and the SLS AMG. The first event was driving a car following Rienhold Renger in two C63 AMGs and one E63 AMG. Each journalist was allowed two laps in the car.

The second program was a drive with Mr. Bernd Maylander, the Formula One Safety Car driver, at the wheel. Those two laps in a C63 AMG being pushed to its limits left many of us with a dizzy head.

The third and the last one included a test of the ESP wherein the cars were supposed to do slalom and brake hard to avoid an obstacle. The difficult part was maintaining a good speed through the cones and to resist the temptation to look just at the front of the car rather looking at the next curve.

All of the above sounds extremely tempting doesn’t it? Let me tell you that even you can be a part of the whole experience. Here are some more details on the JPSI-AMG Performance Driving Academy:

The performance drive academy will have in total 4 sessions in the whole year i.e. one each quarter for two days and only 8 people will be allowed per day so that makes 16 per session and 64 in an year. The fee which will be Rs. 75,000 (for non-Mercedes owners) and Rs.50,000 (for Mercedes owners) includes the whole course, the Mercedes- AMG cars i.e. the C63, E63, SL63 and SLS AMG and the highly experienced tutors with each one having at least 10 year of experience.

Here are some more images that will make you sign a cheque right away!

Mercedes Benz AMG Driving Academy at Buddh International Circuit

Can’t see the image slideshow above? Head to our Flickr page right away

Mercedes plans to create one such Halo car of its own which would be a massive stretch of their engineering capabilities. Mercedes plans to make a E Class Superlight which will be a mind bogglingly 350 kg lighter than the standard model as their halo car. They are picking a nameplate that has served as a business saloon to assume the role currently played by the SLS AMG. If it gets people to talk, it will drive up the equity of the E-Class.

The chassis of the E Superlight will be made entirely from carbon fiber and will not feature any B-pillars. Instead the rear doors will swing out and then move rearwards, making entry and exit very easy. Power will come from a 150 bhp hydrogen fuel cell, backed up by a 50 electric motor. With total weight of 1400kg, the power-to-weight ratio will be equal to the E350 V6 petrol variant.

However, don’t mistake this for a concept car. Mercedes plans to manufacture 20,000 Superlights per year. Prices will be as high as the S Class.

[Source: AutoBlogGreen.com]

Also showcased was the convertible version of the uber-sexy SLS AMG which, with its roof off, looks even more appealing. The car was revealed by Mr. Bernd Maylander the Formula one safety car driver since 2000, along with MB India’s Mr. Debashis Mitra.

The Concept A-Class was also revealed but the production version wont be entering the Indian market anytime soon. Also present at the conference were four celebrities namely Ms. Gupta, a renowned fashion artist, Mr. Chetan Bhagat, the famous Indian writer, Mr. Irfan Pathan, a former member of the Indian Cricket team and Mr. Farhan Akhtar, the jack-of-all-trades of the Bollywood.

All of these products were merely showcased and not launched so no prices announced as of now. Scroll through the pictures below to get an idea about the Mercedes experience.

Slideshow – Mercedes Benz at Auto Expo 2012

can’t see the slideshow above? Head over to the Mercedes Benz Auto Expo Flickr page for the gallery.

Giving company to the Concept A Class will be SLS AMG GT3 super car and also its DTM C-Class car so that petrolheads could get some bang for their buck. AMG lovers will definitely see the entire AMG portfolio as well as the some more details about the soon-to-be-launched Mercedes-Benz-JPSI Performance Driving Academy.

Two very important launches will happen at the Mercedes Stall. First one is the SLS AMG Roadster which will be the follow up to the hardtop version.  The roadster will pack 563 hp and is a culmination of a three-year development period during which extensive attention was paid to rigidity and handling

The 2012 M Class could also grace us with its presence. Mercedes is expected to launch BlueTEC V6 diesel producing 240PS in India. The new M class features 7-speed automatic gearbox with 4MATIC AWD system tied together with a host of technologies such as radar-guided cruise control, Attention Assist, optional Blind Spot Assist and Lane keeping Assist.

Besides these there will be technology demonstrators as well as an array of exotic Mercedes-Benz cars that represents automotive design and technology at its best.

Make sure your wallet is loaded as Mercedes India plans to have an exclusive merchandise outlet for you to splurge on!