German carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Monday launched the facelift of its top-end luxury sedan the S-Class. This premium sedan used by heads of state and chief executives alike, in fact it is the car used by the President of India as well as some of India's best known honchos. In the two decades and over four generations, the Stuttgart-based carmaker has delivered over 6,700 of these cars in India.
The facelift which was showcased in China late last year comes equipped with some of the latest radar-based technology which allows the vehicle to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front, monitors crossing traffic to prevent lane changes when dangerous as well as automatically braking the car in certain situations. Roland Folger, the Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz India said that these features would be useful to car owners and driver's alike. “On such an expensive car such features can potentially save the car from going to the workshop after a small incident,” said Folger.
The S-Class which is the leader in its segment is priced at Rs 1.33 crore ex-showroom for the BS-6 capable diesel S350D and Rs 1.47 crore for the petrol S450.
Despite the high price, Folger believes the opportunity for such a premium luxury car remains massive in India.
“There are 44,000 individuals in India with a net worth in excess of $25 million (Rs 160 crore) so the market still has huge potential,” said Folger.