The Mercedes CLA, a compact sedan launched in Europe last year, and the GLA, a compact SUV due to be showcased at the Frankfurt Auto show later this year, make good fits for the Indian market, said Eberhard Kern, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India.
He suggested that these will come into the Indian market in the near future.
Speaking on the company’s future portfolio, Kern said that it could include a compact sedan and SUV.
“The CLA fits very well in India. The GLA is due for launch in Europe next March/April. This compact SUV also fits well and is a very valid option.”
The company’s portfolio includes two recently introduced compact hatchbacks.
Earlier, the German luxury car maker rolled out the first unit of the locally made premium SUV, the GL-Class from its facility at Chakan near Pune today, making this the only plant worldwide to produce it outside of Tuscaloosa, US.
Local production of the GL will bring speed, flexibility as well as cost benefit to customers, Kern said.
He added that 100 launch units of the SUV introduced in May as a completely built unit had been sold out, leading to the pipeline drying up.
Growth in sales
The January-July period has seen Mercedes post 22 per cent growth in sales (16 per cent from January-June), and while the E-Class contributed to 40 per cent of the sales, every one of four cars sold in the last two months has been an A or B-Class (both compact hatchbacks).
With the SUV segment continuously growing (50 per cent for MBI), the growth has been limited on account of lack of availability of kits, Kern said. “The ML-Class has had a wait-list since the first day (now over four months) and we are working for more production kits from November. We are short on allocations for the A and B Class cars as well. We are talking to headquarters and with India on the strategic roadmap, our chances are getting better,” he quipped.
Built from locally sourced aggregates, the features of the new GL-Class 350 CDI include power of 258 hp at 3,600 rpm, Mercedes patented 4-matic technology, and air-matic suspension. The new features include cross wind assist and 360 degree camera to provide the driver with a bird’s eye view. It has been priced at Rs 72.58 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).