Mercedes-Benz has already launched a number of new cars in the Indian car market in 2013. Of late, the brand with three pointed star introduced the E63 AMG, a sports car that followed the likes of A-Class as well as B-Class premium hatchbacks and GL-Class Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). The German luxury auto maker has been quite explicit in its aggressive strategy for India, terming 2013 as the 'Year of Offensive'. Moreover, the company is focusing on bringing more and more low cost vehicles to the Indian auto market in order to attract price sensitive buyers. In a latest development that has taken place, sources claim that Mercedes-Benz is looking ahead to bring the GLA crossover to India by as early as next year.
Earlier in 2013, the German auto maker unveiled GLA crossover as a concept vehicle at the Shanghai Motor Show. According to reports, company officials present at the event gave a hint about the India launch of the car. Seeing the rise in demand for SUVs in India, Mercedes-Benz has started pacing up the work for bringing the GLA. The basis of this car is formed by the A-Class sports hatchback along with the MFA platform, which is present in other models like B-Class and CLA sedan. Rumours suggest that the GLA crossover will be introduced in the international markets by the end of 2013.
Industry experts feel that Mercedes-Benz will offer two engine options with its GLA Crossover, including one diesel and one petrol. The petrol version of the Mercedes-Benz GLA is expected to be powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine mated to a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox. On the other hand, the diesel variant is likely to be fitted with a 1.8-litre powertrain. Sources close to the development have claimed that the German luxury car maker is going to introduce the front-wheel drive system in the base variant, while the top ones will be all-wheel drives.
It must be noted that the competition between the German trios, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz has stiffened last year. All these companies are trying to outdo each other by introducing more and more cars. Experts say that the GLA crossover will face tough rivalry in the form of Audi Q3, BMW X1 and the Volvo V40 Cross Country. If reports are to be believed, then this new Mercedes-Benz car will be priced around Rs. 25 lakh. The aggressive pricing strategy might work for the firm as the demand for SUVs has been on the rise. However, at this point in time, everything is based solely on speculations and analytic interpretations by experts.
