On the wake of the Auto Expo 2010 which commences tomorrow, Mercedes has launched two new models in India.

The first of these two Mercs is an SUV, the GL 350 CDI. The GL 350 CDI features the Mercedes’ BlueEfficiency Technology and has a fuel efficiency of 10.75 km/litre and is priced at Rs 64.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The other model that was launched today is the Mercedes S 500 L which also is the new version of its luxury sedan, the Mercedes S Class. Mercedes S 500 L gets a 5.5 litre V8 petrol engine that can deliver a power of 388 bhp and is priced at Rs 95 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The S500L Limousine, when launched, will be the most expensive car to be built in India.

The German carmaker has fallen behind its compatriot competitor BMW in India in its yearly sales in 2009. While Mercedes-Benz sold 3,247 units in India in 2009, a decline of 10.4 per cent compared to the previous year’s sales, BMW sold 3,619. Wilfied Aulbur, MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, said that the company was confident of attaining a double-digit growth in 2010. Its focus, he said, is not on leadership but on profitable growth.

Wilfied Aulbur said that the sales were lower in 2009 as they had replaced their existing E-class with a new model, and there was a waiting period on the new cars. But the guys in Mercedes India were contemplating the company’s sales to grow in “double digits” in 201 with the launch of newer models.