Autogyaan: Mercedes Benz launches 2012 B-Class in India
Mercedes-Benz India Limited has launched the B-Class tourer in India. The tourer is priced at Rs 21.49 lakh for the B180 and Rs 24.87 lakh for the B180 Sport ex-Mumbai, these launches will enable Mercedes to take on rivals BMW and Audi, both of which have begun exploring the bottom half of the price spectrum to step up sales.
The B-Class is the most affordable Mercedes available to buy in India. Powered by a 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged petrol engine which is capable of producing 121PS of power and 200Nm of torque. A 7-speed dual clutch transmission fitted with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel makes the experience sweeter.
To aid fuel efficiency, Mercedes have kitted the B-Class with the soft-start system. The ARAI certified fuel efficiency is 14.8kmpl. As far as safety systems are concerned, the B-Class boasts of seven airbags and attention assist system derived from the E-Class.
Luxury car makers expect growth in the lower-priced segment to more than double as against the traditional luxury range, which is expected to grow at between 5% and 10%.
[quote]”The B-Class marks the start of a new innings for Mercedes-Benz India. This is the first of Mercedes-Benz’s compact cars and will be followed up by the A-Class next year. We have other models also in pipeline over the next few years,” says Peter Honegg, managing director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India.[/quote]
