When Mercedes launched the new M Class, they were inundated with orders. The company received 100 bookings in just a week when the yearly target was 500 units. News also came in that the limited edition ML350CDI with the AMG pack was almost sold out.
Now our friends at AutoJunction.in report that sensing the desirability of the new M Class, Mercedes India is planning a cheaper variant.
Currently the M Class is only offered with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine. Mercedes India is planning to launch the ML 250 CDI, powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder common-rail diesel engine. The smaller engine is currently being homologated by the authorities for its India debut. This engine is available on the C- and E-Class models and is assembled by Force Motors for Mercedes Benz.
The ML 250 CDI is already being sold in Europe with all-wheel drive and a 7G-Tronic gearbox. The four-cylinder block produces 204 PS and 500 Nm of torque. AutoJunction predicts that the ML 250 CDI will be 5 lakhs cheaper than the ML350CDI. This means that the M Class range would start at around 50 lakhs. This would make the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 buyers want to spend more and get a bigger SUV.
[Source: autojunction.in]
