[Needforspeed004]

JLR has just launched a detuned V8 for defender at 1.39 Cr and this is the only V8 on this side of 2cr. The price is almost equivalent to one available in UK and US.

I did read in your earlier post that Defender is too rugged but this is one of the best cars with V8 at this price.

Do check it out.

[nikhil.nayak]

Originally Posted by Needforspeed004

JLR has just launched a detuned V8 for defender at 1.39 Cr and this is the only V8 on this side of 2cr. The price is almost equivalent to one available in UK and US.

That is interesting. Thanks for sharing. I've taken two quotes for Defenders but both were approaching 1.9 Cr. One is for a V8 5.0 P425 which was 1.53 Cr ex showroom / 1.93 Cr on road.

Will have to ask them about this.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by nikhil.nayak

That is interesting. Thanks for sharing.
I've taken two quotes for Defenders but both were approaching 1.9 Cr.
One is for a V8 5.0 P425 which was 1.53 Cr ex showroom / 1.93 Cr on road

It's the same car. The prices are 1,50ish depending on the loadings. I will instead suggest RR Sports, this 8 cylinder is going to be a gas guzzler with no significant power difference over 6 cylinders.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5906022 (2025 Land Rover Defender V8 launched at Rs 1.39 crore)

[nikhil.nayak]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

It's the same car. The prices are 1,50ish depending on the loadings. I will instead suggest RR Sports, this 8 cylinder is going to be a gas guzzler with no significant power difference over 6 cylinders.

Thanks for the advice on the V8 vs the 6 Cylinder options. TBH I was also apprehensive about the V8.

I've been chewing the cud on the Defender and RRS offerings this past week. And to be honest I'm getting a bit of "price fatigue" with the brand. Almost any options on offer send the prices shooting to the 2 Cr mark. So after some thought I've decided to remove them from consideration. My preference for back row comfort and options brings the GLE 450D into consideration.

Based on this a friend of mine has asked me to look up the E450D. Apparently the E450D has been purpose built for Indian back seat considerations.

All feedback is appreciated!

[RickyC]

The E450 is not a diesel, its a 6 cyl petrol motor. All the creature comforts are by and large same as 4 cyl motors.

[nikhil.nayak]

After taking the test drive on the E220D I have changed my mind in favour of the E Class sedan. I was not really satisfied with the ride on the GLE 450D last month. The ride on the E Class is simply superb. Despite being a large car it feels like and handles like a much small vehicle. Rear seat comfort is absolutely fantastic. The E Class cars are also not very low slung and have a comfortable height.

I am looking at the E450 4Matic AMG Line which features their inline 6 cylinder petrol engine. The MB showroom is looking at what colors are available. MB has confirmed that the India cars will not have rear wheel steering. All in all this feels like a much safer buy and ticks all the major boxes for my requirements. Fingers crossed that all goes well.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by nikhil.nayak

After taking the test drive on the E220D I have changed my mind in favour of the E Class sedan..

Good progress. A sedan feels one segment higher than a comparable SUV. Just that it's pragmatic/practical to go for SUVs given the state of road+traffic in our country.

I have been enjoying reading your updates. Not many people actually spend the effort in checking the cars in person and sharing updates like you have been doing.

If you intend to keep the car for very long, I would say go the extra mile and buy a sedan with air suspension. As far as I know, E450 doesn't come with air suspension - if it does, then you are good to go. Back in 2012, I was close to buying an E Class and ended up stretching to buy the S Class. Of course, E Class today is a much improved model and comes pretty close to S Class. I would say air suspension is the real deal in this segment and it's totally worth paying for it. It was beyond my budget when I bought my car but it's the feature I appreciate the most after so many years of usage. I would go to the extent of saying there are only two types of family sedans: those with air suspension and those without.

[nikhil.nayak]

Thanks for the kind words Androdev. TBH I have been sorely tempted to go higher up but took the decision to stay within a 1.5 Cr budget. It does help that the E450 comes so close to the S Class in terms of feature set and performance.

Sadly the E450 does not come with the Airmatic Suspension and Rear Wheel steering for the India market. I was under the impression that it did until I spoke to my SA at the MB dealership yesterday. Having said that the ride quality was superb in my test drive. The E Class uses what they call the AGILITY CONTROL suspension which they claim has been specially developed for the Indian market.

[neal]

Originally Posted by nikhil.nayak

After taking the test drive on the E220D I have changed my mind in favour of the E Class sedan.

E-class is amazing to be chauffeured around! I had a look at it as well when we were looking out, but I was a little picky about going for a SUV, given the roads here.

If you're open to a sedan, have a look at 5 as well.

Originally Posted by androdev

I would go to the extent of saying there are only two types of family sedans: those with air suspension and those without.

Totally agree with it. Even though MB's air suspensions are said to be the finest, driving 2k on X5 itself has been awesome, it will be difficult to go back. I upgraded from our XC40, not even comparable!

[nikhil.nayak]

Originally Posted by neal

E-class is amazing to be chauffeured around! I had a look at it as well when we were looking out, but I was a little picky about going for a SUV, given the roads here.

If you're open to a sedan, have a look at 5 as well.

Thanks neal. I did start out looking at the SUV options (X5 vs GLE450D). After taking a long hard look at my actual usage (and ego check) I decided that I no longer need a vehicle that is "performance" tuned. After a long day at the office all I'm looking for a peaceful ride home. Same goes for when we are going out for a dinner or evening function. I'm hoping that the E450 will keep things interesting when I do take the wheel. The E220D that I test drove was a surprisingly agile in city traffic. MB does not have a E450 for test drive and I am probably going to have to go for it blind. Fingers crossed!


I have been very impressed with the E class specially the rear seat comfort and leg room. As much as I love driving, Hyderabad traffic sends me straight into the back seat where I take a nap most of the time. The 5 series back seat has decent legroom but otherwise was very sparse in comparison.

[sohels]

I'm in the same boat as Nikhil, looking to replace my 3.5 year old A4.

My (chronological) order of test drives was:

530Li > E200 > X5 30D > Velar > Q7 > X5 40i

I do low mileage and self drive 90% of the time, so had narrowed it down to X5 40i and E450. With the caveat that the G05 X5, first launched in 2018, is nearing the end of its life.

However, now I'm thinking I'll keep the A4, which has only done 14K, and maybe take a close look at the MG Cyberster. 0-100 in 3.2s is no joke, and reviews suggest it is setup more comfortably than typical sports cars, which would be a good thing for our roads.

Am I making a serious mistake?

[nikhil.nayak]

Originally Posted by sohels

.. and maybe take a close look at the MG Cyberster. 0-100 in 3.2s is no joke, and reviews suggest it is setup more comfortably than typical sports cars, which would be a good thing for our roads.

Am I making a serious mistake?

That MG Cyberster looks stellar on paper! Might just be the thing for you. In my case however, I am not ready for an EV yet and that would be the only con I would say in that their future (resale) value is a question mark. But I envy your choices given that you drive yourself most of the time.

I'm all set for picking up my E220D next week. Just got back from a long business trip that had put things on hold. I have gone for Silver exterior and Black interiors. It's always been one of my favourite color combinations.

Description as per the documentation:

E-CLASS : V214 E 220d
Exterior Colour: 922U-HIGH-TECH-SILVER
Interior Colour: 121A-ARTICO BLACK

Thanks once again to all the great feedback on this thread that helped me make my decision.

[ajmat]

Note from Moderator

The thread ended up becoming a V214 delivery and initial experience. Those posts have been moved to the V214 test report thread