If you thought BMW was the brand with cars of weird shapes and sized, think again. Mercedes Benz, which has conducted over a dozen launches over the last 18 months, is gearing up for the launch of the R-Class this diwali, bookings for which have already opened.
Before you look at the image and dismiss it for a Toyota Innova alternative, I should tell you this is somewhat an Innova, yes. Except that it'll be powered by a 3.5-liter petrol engine that develops 272bhp power and 357Nm torque. It's not going to cost less than 60 lakh rupees. That's about the price of five well-equipped Innovas.
The R-Class MPV will be launched in long wheelbase form. It is for the family which wants to travel long distances. Or it is for the the urban-dweller who can't wants a flat which he can drive around.
Being a CBU, Mercedes will bring the fully-loaded R-Class that has features like bi-xenon headlamps, steel spring suspension in front and AIRmatic (Adaptive Intelligent Ride control) system featuring self-leveling air suspension in the rear. There's a lot of other things I can talk about but let's just say the R-Class is a really large, really comfortable and fast MPV that you think should cost not more than 15 lakh rupees.
The list of Mercedes cars in India is getting longer all the time. There are cars like the E-Class cabriolet, SLS AMG, SL63 AMG which are probably the least practical cars for the Indian market. Despite lacking good roads, consistent fuel quality, consistent speed bump heights (highlighted), basic road manners, and traffic law enforcement, our country has attracted a decent number of exotic imported cars.
I'm sure there are more than a handful of people out there wearing black shades, who will paint their R-Class black, fit it with large alloy wheels, add a loud stereo and use it as their bling mobile.
Source - Autocar India
