The Indian arm of Mercedes-Benz, a renowned German luxury car maker, is working towards the launch of its A-Class hatchback range in the domestic market for next month. As per industry sources, the much awaited Mercedes-Benz A-Class models could hit the company’s retail outlets on May 30, 2013 and mark its entry into an unfamiliar territory of the Indian luxury car space.
The German auto maker is expected to pitch its upcoming A-Class range with price tags less than the B-Class Sports Tourer, which was launched in the country. Therefore, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class would become the company’s cheapest offering upon its arrival on the Indian turf. Industry sources have suggested that the A-Class could bear retail values in an introductory price bracket of Rs. 18 to 20 lakh.
Coming to under-the-hood specifications of Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the premium hatchbacks would come with options in both petrol and diesel powered guises. The petrol trim of A-Class is expected to come fitted with a 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol engine that could generate maximum power output close to 120 bhp. Further, the A-Class diesel could be powered by a 1.5 litre oil burner rated with a peak power of 109 bhp. Upon its launch, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchbacks would compete against BMW’s Mini Cooper cars. However, upcoming BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 are pegged as direct rivals to the A-Class, which are also awaiting their Indian launches at the moment.