Mercedes-Benz launched its most affordable car, the A-Class on 30th May in India and after a fleeting span of ten days, the company has declared it has received confirmed bookings of over 400 units for the hatchback. The milestone for the German automaker is an admirable achievement while the ice on the cake is, in the Indian market this is the first time that a luxury automaker has received such response for any model within a short time period of just ten days. The A-Class has bagged the badge for being the most affordable car from the Mercedes stable and also from the luxury car market in India.
Mercedes-Benz was expecting the launch of the A-Class as a potential player from their product lineup in the Indian market, which is no doubt being a buoyant for the company. The premium sporty hatchbacks from BMW under the MINI marque, are the certain rivals for the three pointed star. MINI has been appealing with its eye-catchy styling and performance but the British company has not lured a lot of customers in India due to its high prices and the absence of practicality. Whereas, the A-Class has won several awards for its design and the eminence of three pointed star with the luxurious charm.
The company offers the A-Class in two variants – A180 CDI powered by a 2.2-liitre diesel mill with power output of 108 BHP and 250 Nm of torque. The CDI model is priced at Rs. 25.73 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai). Whereas, the A180 Sport features a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol motor that churns out 122 BHP and 208 Nm, with a price tag of Rs. 26.21 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai). The A-Class comes to our shores as a CBU unit and Mercedes plans to start local assembly early next year. Mercedes-Benz acclaimed the third position in the luxury car sales chart, following Audi and BMW from the ‘German Big 3’ group.
