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Mercedes Benz India (MBI) has finally revealed which of its compact cars it will make locally. The automaker has firmed up plans to begin assembling the CLA-Class sedan at Chakan early next year, enabling its launch in the country.
Launched in global markets about a year ago, the CLA is positioned between the A and B-Class hatchbacks and the C-Class sedan. This, along with the GLA-Class, a compact SUV that is due for a September 30 launch, will help plug a gap in the German automotive giant’s passenger vehicle portfolio in India.
“We will localise the CLA, and it will be the sixth model to be assembled at Chakan,” Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO, MBI said. The company has already launched the AMG variant of the CLA sedan and will launch the locally made car five months later, he added.
Though Mercedes has been a relatively late entrant on the “luxury compact” stage, Kern says that August 2014 has been the best month for the A-Class since its launch. That Mercedes will depend on the compact range to help beef up its overall sales tally is evident as he adds, “We believe the CLA will find a lot of enthusiasts and be a volume contributor.”
Earlier on Thursday, Mercedes Benz broadened its E-Class offerings with the launch of the locally built E-350 that has a 3-litre V6 diesel engine and will cost ₹57.42 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).
With over 80 per cent of its current sales coming from diesel cars, Kern says that there are no plans to bring in the petrol variant of the E350.
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