Mercedes-Benz developed a rival for the Porsche 911 in the form of the SLS AMG replacing AMG GT. As per a report, Mercedes could now be working on a new model that will rival Porsche’s only four-door sedan – the Panamera. The car in question could be based on the next generation E-Class, and may be launched along with the new E-Class, sometime next year.

The new model is supposedly being developed by Mercedes-AMG, and while the car’s underpinnings may be the same as the W213 E-Class, the design is expected to be considerably different.

The report also adds that the German automaker is working on a rival for the Audi TT. This model is expected to be based on the MFA2 platform that will underpin the new A-Class. The TT rival will also be developed by Mercedes-AMG and is expected to feature a more potent engine than the A-Class. Apart from a hard-top coupe, a fabric roof roadster is also said to be on the books.

Source: auto-motor-und-sport

*Images for representation only

Mercedes-Benz India has launched the facelifted B-Class sports tourer along with the updated A-Class diesel today. The refreshed B-Class gets new front and rear bumpers, a new front grille, new 16-inch, 10-spoke alloy wheels, LED headlamps, reworked tail-lamps and tweaked body contours on the exterior.

On the inside, the car gets a new 3-spoke steering wheel, new instrument cluster, 7-inch display for the COMAND interface, Garmin SD card navigation and Artico leather draped seats. Both the A-Class and B-Class sport an uprated diesel engine.

The diesel engine is a 2,143 cc, in-line 4-cylinder engine that makes 134 BHP @ 3,200-4,000 rpm and 300 Nm of torque @ 1,400-3,000 rpm). The B 200 CDI does the 0-100 km/h run in a claimed 9.8 seconds with the top speed rated at 210 km/h. The claimed fuel economy stands at 19.7 km/l. The A 200 CDI produces the same output figures, but the peak power is delivered at 3,600-4,400 rpm, while the peak torque kicks in at 1,600-3,000 rpm.

Both cars continue with the existing petrol engine i.e. a 1,595 cc, in-line 4-cylinder engine that makes 121 BHP @ 5,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque @ 1,250-4,000 rpm. All variants come mated with a 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

The A-Class will now feature a panoramic sunroof as standard equipment and Mercedes-Benz has not included the A 200 CDI as one of the 15 models it will launch this year. Prices (ex-Mumbai):

B 180 Sport: Rs 27.95 Lakh

B 200 CDI Sport: Rs 28.95 Lakh

A 180 Sport: Rs 25.95 Lakh

A 200 CDI Sport: Rs 26.95 Lakh

Thanks to BHPian PPS for sharing this information.

Mercedes-Benz sells the diesel versions of the A-Class and B-Class hatchbacks in India in A 180 CDI and B 180 CDI variants. These cars have a 2143 cc, 4-cylinder engine that puts our 107 bhp and 250 Nm of torque. While this engine is quite frugal, it fails to excite enthusiasts. However now, Mercedes-Benz might be in the process of addressing this problem by giving them more power.

It may be worth noting that the GLA 200 CDI crossover was recently launched with the same 2143 cc engine in a higher state of tune. Now, the company appears to have imported an A 200 CDI and a B 200 CDI for homologation. The two hatchbacks are likely to get the same power and torque output as the GLA - 134 bhp and 300 Nm.

If Mercedes-Benz does give a power hike to the two models, it will go a long way in increasing their appeal.

German luxury carmaker, Mercedes-Benz has launched the Edition 1 version of the A-Class and B-Class cars in India at Rs. 26.17 lakh and Rs. 28.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) respectively. The Edition 1 package is available only on the diesel variants of the two models. Only 100 units of each of the A180 CDI Edition 1 and B180 CDI Edition 1 will be sold.

The Edition 1 features cosmetic changes and additional equipment over the standard variants of the A180 CDI and B180 CDI. Changes to the exterior include decals with Edition 1 lettering, gloss-black mirror housings and alloy wheels of a different design - 17-inch for the A-Class and 16-inch for the B-Class.

On the inside there is an Edition 1 badge on the headliner. Additions to the equipment include a rear seat centre armrest, panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable front passenger seat and reversing camera. The B-Class gets a rear seat entertainment system as well.

There are no mechanical changes to the cars. They continue using the 2143 cc, 4-cylinder diesel which develops 107 bhp @ 3200-4000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque @ 1400-2800 rpm and is mated to a 7-speed, dual clutch automatic transmission.

The A-Class and B-Class Edition 1 cars are available at all Mercedes-Benz dealerships across India.

Mercedes-Benz India is gearing up to launch a special edition of the diesel powered A-Class and B-Class hatchbacks in India. This special edition is in line with the Mercedes-Benz Edition 1 package seen on the company's cars in international markets.

In the Edition 1 both the hatchbacks will gain Edition 1 badges and decals, gloss-black mirror housings and alloy wheels of a different design. The ground clearance of the A-Class will be increased as well.

On the equipment front, the two models get additional features such as rear seat centre armrest, panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable front passenger seat and reversing camera. Additionally, the B-Class will get a rear seat infotainment system. Some of these features like the panoramic sunroof have been available on the petrol variants of the cars.

There are no mechanical changes to the cars. They continue using the 2143 cc, 4-cylinder diesel engine and 7-speed, dual clutch transmission.

Mercedes Benz India has entered the entry-level luxury car segment with the likes of the A-Class and B-Class hatchbacks. Going forward, the CLA sedan and GLA crossover will also be launched in India. By the end of 2015, Mercedes Benz India will have no less than 4 cars in the entry-level luxury segment, all of them anticipated to be priced well below the 30 lakh rupee mark. 

Meanwhile, rivals like Audi and BMW have their own offerings being readied up for the Indian car market. While BMW will drive in the 1-Series hatchback in the second half of this year, plans are afoot at Audi India for the launch of the MQB platform based A3 sedan. Although a first mover in the entry level luxury car space, Mercedes Benz will have to contend with plenty of competition in the coming months. 

With BMW India positive about CKD assembly of the 1-Series hatchback, the pressure seems to be already on Mercedes Benz. This, as both the A-Class and B-Class models are imported into India through the completely built unit (CBU) route, a mode of import that results in the cars being slapped with hefty import duties, the likes of which are steadily inching higher with each passing year.

Although Mercedes Benz did announce the CKD assembly of the A-Class and B-Class from 2013, these plans (According to TheEconomicTimes) have been pushed to 2014. Currently, the car maker has doubled CKD assembly operations at Pune, with an investment of about 850 Crore rupees. This increase in CKD assembly capacity is expected to accommodate the entry level luxury car range based on Mercedes Benz's MFA platform. 

Notably, at the launch of the B-Class hatchback in India last year, Mercedes Benz stated that it has factored in CKD assembly plans while pricing the car in the country. It also added that the prices would not change (be lowered) even after CKD assembly commences. While this information is specific to the B-Class, it remains to be seen whether such a strategy is applicable to the A-Class as well. 

If Mercedes Benz India has already factored in CKD assembly plans while pricing both the A and B-Class models, expect no change in the current prices of these cars. If it hasn't factored CKD assembly (on the A-Class at least), prices could drop, making the car more attractive to prospective buyers.

Given the fact that Force Motors assembles the 2.2 Liter turbo diesel engine found on the base variants of the A-Class and B-Class models, CKD assembly has the potential to deliver valuable cost savings to Mercedes Benz. Presently, Mercedes Benz assembles four car ranges in India, the E-Class, the C-Class, the S-Class and the ML-Class. In the coming months, CKD assembly of the GL-Class SUV will be kick started at the car maker's Chakan factory, off Pune.

The MFA (modular front wheel architecture) platform refers to predominantly front wheel driven Mercedes Benz cars that promise affordable luxury. However, the platform is flexible enough to allow all wheel drive (AWD) models. In fact, the AMG spec MFA based cars come with AWD as standard. The MFA range of cars, comprising of models such as the A-Class, B-Class, CLA sedan and GLA crossover, are aimed at younger car buyers, many of them seeking to buy into the three pointed star brand for the first time. 

These buyers are eventually expected to be loyal Mercedes Benz customers in the future, upgrading to the more expensive cars in the German car maker's range. A similar strategy is being followed by other Teuton luxury car brands such as Audi and BMW. Other luxury brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche are also touted to the join the entry-level luxury car brigade in the coming years.

Mercedes Benz India is chuffed about the 400 bookings it has received in just 10 days for its latest car, the A-Class sports hatchback. The latest generation version of the A-Class, the third generation model, is a hot selling car for Mercedes Benz globally. In India too, the start for the A-Class has been very promising, so much so that Mercedes Benz has announced that the initial bookings for the A-Class have been the car maker's best ever booking performance for a new car model. Clearly, the A-Class sports hatchback has found favour with many luxury car buyers, aided in good measure by the availability of the 2.2 liter diesel engined variant. 

Waiting periods for the A-Class have already hit the 3 month mark. The A-Class is imported into India through the completely built unit(CBU) route and this approach means that the car gets slapped with a hefty import duty.  Buyers of the A-Class also have to contend with a higher road tax, thereby inflating the on road price of the car. CKD assembly will mean that the A-Class is priced well below its current on-road Delhi price of 24.51 lakh rupees, making the sports hatchback a much more attractive buy. According to TheEconomicTimes, Mercedes Benz India is considering CKD assembly of the A-Class. 

From the looks of it, the chance of Mercedes Benz assembling the A-Class in India is high as the car maker is seeing good initial volumes from the car. If this trend continues for a few more months, local assembly is highly likely as Mercedes Benz already assembles other high volume cars such as the C-Class, E-Class, ML-Class and S-Class models in India. Also, Mercedes Benz India has plans of expanding its Chakan assembly facility by doubling capacity from the current 10,000 units/year to 20,000 units/year. MFA platform based cars such as the A-Class, B-Class and CLA sedan are expected to benefit from this capacity increase. 

Luxury brands constantly grapple with the need for good volumes on one hand and the need to maintain exclusivity on the other. Walking this tightrope and finding the fine balance between achieving volumes and maintaining exclusivity is what most luxury car brands seeking to break into lower segments need to manage. With cars such as the A-Class and the B-Class, based on the MFA platform, Mercedes Benz is walking a similar tightrope. The future will give us insights as to how the three pointed star brand will cope with such a pressure as it expects its MFA range of luxury cars to deliver a large chunk of sales. 

Mercedes-Benz (Shaman Wheels Pvt. Ltd.) invited us for a special preview of the upcoming A-Class.

Please note that this was just a preview, hence no figures have been shared.

High Points:

• The Mercedes A-Class will be launched in two model lines: A 180 CDI (Diesel) & A 180 Sport (Petrol).
• "7G-DCT" 7-Speed Dual-Clutch Transmission with paddle shifts.
• Diesel claims a fuel efficiency of 20 kmpl. ARAI certified.
• Safety features: bi-xenon headlamps, 7 airbags, ABS, ESP, acceleration skid control, adaptive brake lights, attention assist, hill start assist, brake assist, electric parking brake, tyre pressure loss warning.
• Dimensions: 4,292 x 1,780 x 1,433 mm (LxWxH). That's just a little shorter and wider than the average C+ segment sedan.
• Mercedes has mentioned that they have no existing plans of launching a sub-20 lakh car in India; so expect the price to go North of that.
• Mercedes-Benz will have the first mover advantage (against the BMW 1-Series and Audi A3) when they launch the A-Class by the end of this month.
• This is the 3rd generation A-Class (W176).