The well-established German auto maker, Mercedes-Benz turned a new leaf on July 19, 2012. At Famous Buddh International Circuit, located in Greater Noida, the company showcased its highly anticipated B-Class. The limelight of Mercedes-Benz B-Class unveiling ceremony also attracted the Bollywood actress Genelia D’Souza, adding the event to Page 3 listings.
The car happens to be the first Sports Tourer (ST) in the country and will create a new segment in the auto market here. German car maker is promoting the new car through the 'Ultimate Touring Trail', which is similar to that of Mahindra's Great Escape. Under this campaign, Mercedes-Benz will ask the owners of the ST model to join in for thrilling activities like sky-diving and scuba diving among others.
The B-Class is sold as compact ST in the auto markets worldwide and to be precise, the new car is a meatier hatchback. The model promises to provide a sedan-like handling, ruggedness of Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) and the performance matching to a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). The car maker did not reveal its powertrain specifications; however, it is sure to retain its 7-speed DSG transmission unit.
Analysts believe that the new model hold a 1.6 litre, four-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine. The powertrain is likely to have the potential to churn out a maximum power of 153.8 bhp at 5000 rpm with a peak torque of 250 Nm at a fairly low 1250 rpm.
The feature package of Mercedes-Benz B-Class comes loaded with speed limit assist, active parking assist, brake hold as well as hill hold functionality, distronic plus, blind spot detection system and adaptive headlamp assist.
At its press conference, the German car maker stated that the auto aficionados will surely go for the new Mercedes-Benz B-Class, owing to its industry-leading credentials. The innovative transmission unit, which is expected to be incorporated within the model, offers 30-40 per cent better fuel efficiency than that of a sedan. The ST model will come with features like bi-xenon headlights, a cargo space of 1,200-1,300 litre, seven airbags and acceleration skid control, among others. At the event, the car maker also introduced its new adventure website, readytob.in that will host a number of exciting contests for the buyers.
With B-Class, Mercedes-Benz is planning to pull the volume in Indian auto market and is looking ahead to regain 15-20 per cent share of the same. The new model that was showcased at Buddh International Circuit will be competing with the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. However, this is not going to be an easy feat considering that both these models have been highly successful in India. During the initial phase, the car is expected to route as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) in India until the company’s plant at Chakan becomes operational.
