Indian Car Blog - Carazoo.com

We all know how privileged the Mercedes buyers are and Mercedes Benz India is trying to prove that. Yes Mercedes Benz India has conceptualised a special extravaganza to highlight the safety features, and engineering technology that all its cars are so famous for. The programme also presents an opportunity to prospective buyers and customers to learn critical road safety skills in a safe and controlled environment.

This is a first-of-its-kind driving experience programme in India and Mercedes being a forerunner in the luxury car segment, it is not very surprising that it has beaten its competitors to it. The programme, named the StarDrive, started at the Juhu Aerodrome in Mumbai. The event was supported by presenting partners Michelin & Mobil 1.

The cars participating in this programme were Mercedes ML-Class, GL-Class, C-Class and E-Class in this event. Through unique simulations, the dynamics of vehicles including safety, agility and performance in either conditions of off-road and on-road are brought to the fore. And the participants could experience the tangible advantages of some of the important safety technologies like Pro-Engineering Package, Airmatic, etc. during the course of the driving programme.

Mercedes Benz has always been among the top leaders in introducing new technologies globally as well as in India. Customer safety has always been one of the main principles driving the company’s innovation and technologies. And, India being on the global map as one of the top car consumers, it is only very apt on Mercedes’s part to introduce such a programme, which is sure to lure new buyers.

Over the years, Mercedes Benz has introduced a number of new technologies, the prominent ones being the Integral occupant protection system (PRE-SAFE), Neck-Pro, PARKTRONIC to the latest addition – Attention Assist System. All these technologies have set a benchmark in the automotive industry.

Debashish Mitra: Director, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India: “Mercedes-Benz StarDrive Experience is aimed to give our customers and participants a one of its kind opportunity to personally experience the unmatched safety technology of our cars besides offering them an opportunity to further hone their driving skills. The StarDrive combines essential elements of driving experience with simulation of critical road situations; combines the Mercedes-Benz spirit of innovation with a genuine spirit of fun”.

Presenting partner, Mobil 1 said: “Mobil 1” is the oil of choice of more than 55 car manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz. Mobil 1 is formulated for high performance engines, and is chosen for AMG specifically to enhance engine life, provide superior protection against harmful deposits, contribute to cleaner running engines and dramatically reduce friction as compared to conventional engine oils.”

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The Beijing Auto Show 2010 has already begun and we bring to you the latest info from the auto show. There were around 2,100 companies from 16 nations and regions exhibiting their products.
Today is the day. Yes, today, the event is open to the press. The auto exhibition area's 200,000 square meters are literally adorned with cars, including plenty of concept cars.

A new variant of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class will be launched after this China auto show in Beijing. Car makers have already begun targeting emerging markets like Brazil and India. How can China be left behind? The new vehicle launches have already begun at the Beijing auto show in a race to capture China's fast-growing market among loose sales elsewhere.

Till around 1995, there were hardly any private cars in China. But now, the scenario is different. The explosive sales growth in the emerging markets has become the highest. Watching the new long-wheelbase sedans from leading luxury brands like Audi and BMW at the Auto Show 2010 is sure going to be a treat to the eyes. An all-new high-powered Ferrari 599 GTO and a V6-powered Porsche Panamera are also going to add excitement.

Lamborghini is all set to showcase the special model that it has made exclusively for the Chinese market. Ford is not going to stay behind. It will present its all-new global concept that could be sold in China, Europe or the US. We will wait for this car to make an entry in India. Chinese home brands like BYD, Chery and Geely will also geared up with their new models for an international audience. The show is going to enhance their confidence too.

Chinese auto makers have come up with plenty of hybrid, electric and fuel cell models. While SAIC Motor Corp has come up with the Roewe 550 plug-in hybrid, Roewe 750 hybrid and E1 electric concept car, FAW Group is showcasing its EV electric concept car, the Besturn 70 and Besturn 50 hybrid cars. Changan Automobile Group will be displaying its Benben electric car, S469 hybrid minivan, Zhixiang and the Yuexiang hybrid car. Chery Automobile is all set to flaunt the S18 electric car, the electric version of QQ compact car, the hybrid version of Riich G5 sedan and the M11 hybrid car. BYD Co is geared up to show off the E6 electric car, F3DM and F6DM plug-in hybrids. Brilliance Auto, Geely Automobile Holdings and Lifan Group too will be displaying their innovations.

China's auto market tore down the global economic disaster and sales shot up by a huge difference of 45 per cent last year to 13.6 million vehicles. This goes to say that China is quite ahead of the 10.5 million vehicles sold in the United States last year. This year has been great too. Sale of the units in China has increased rapidly and growth has accelerated to 11.9 per cent in the first quarter. A conference is also going to take place to discuss the growth and other factors.

GM will be unveiling its all new electric Volt MPV5 concept car, a Chinese-made minivan and a compact sedan at the auto show. Whoa! That’s quite a lot from the world's largest automotive manufacturer. Meanwhile, Ford's latest Focus sedan gets an Asian debut and the company is unveiling a new concept car.

Toyota too is on the same page and will be showcasing fifty vehicles including the new stylish gas-electric hybrid concept car. Toyota is trying its best to leave its footprints on the market by providing numerous vehicles. The car recalls will soon be forgotten and the launches will probably last longer in everybody’s mind.

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Well, this is for all the rich coupe lovers in India. Mercedes Benz India has finally given in to all your not-so-silent pleas to launch a coupe in India, and the result is that the E-Class coupe is up for grabs for one and all (of course, price may be constraint for a few). Last year Mercedes Benz India totally blew up its competitors with the launch of the E-Class sedan, and now is the time to bring on some heat in the coupe segment. Yesterday, Mercedes Benz redefined luxury, style and raw attraction when it launched the E-Class coupe in India.

The E-Class coupe is a sporty interpretation of the E-Class sedan and boasts of unprecedented combination of power, performance and efficiency. Get behind the wheels and you can feel a power of 272hp at 6000rpm. The engine comes paired with a 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission that makes your ride totally effortless. The coupe, with a drag coefficient of just 0.24, is the world's most aerodynamically efficient series-production car. Beat that now!

The E-Class coupe is totally loaded with features that make your driving experience a luxurious one. Your auditory pleasures are taken care by top-end 450 Watt Dolby Digital Harman Kardon® Logic 7® surround-sound system.

You don’t have to worry yourself with setting the inside temperature of the car either. The THERMATIC 2-zone automatic climate control does just that for you. There are sensors which detect the outside temperature and adjust the heating, cooling or fan as necessary.

Additionally, the E-Class coupe is loaded with safety features including ATTENTION ASSIST, PRE-SAFE® occupant protection system, Intelligent Lighting System and airbags. The ATTENTION ASSIST prompts you to take a break when you feel tired and drowsy on long trips.

The new E-Class Coupé has won many international awards for its stunning design (Declared as the “Most Good Looking Coupé” by Chicago Athenaeum - Museum of Architecture and Design; received “The Good Design Award” by Auto Bilt, Germany). Also, a panoramic sunroof/moon roof adds to the dynamic looks of the car.

Now, let’s get to another important detail of the E-Class coupe. Well, you can make it yours by shelling out just about Rs. 54.83-lakhs (ex-showroom Mumbai). The pricing has been kept very competitive and is likely to sell well among the Merc loving rich Indians.

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Well, it is the award season. And we are not talking about one of those mediocre movie awards. We are talking about the top awards in the automotive industry. Yes, the day belonged to General Motors in the design category. Chevrolet Camaro won the 2010 World Car Design of the Year award. In doing so, the Chevrolet Camaro showed the other finalist, Citroen C3 Picasso and the quirky Kia Soul, the exit door.

“In recreating this modern sports car, we have proven that people are just as passionate about Chevy as ever,” said Tom Peters, Chevrolet Design Director, Global RWD, Performance Cars and Full-size Trucks. “We have been delighted about the strong reaction to the Camaro. Even in markets that are new to Chevy, it has been creating an emotional appeal for the brand.”

A design panel, which consisted of five highly respected design experts, was asked to first review the entrees from each candidate and then make a short-list of recommendations for the final jurors.

The award was presented to Camaro at the New York International Auto Show, 2010. The award is sponsored by BASF and focuses on new vehicles that are considered to be high on eye-friendliness and cutting edge technology.

Other awards at the prestigious show included the Volkswagen Polo for World Car of the Year, snagging it from the very prissy Toyota Prius and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Audi R8 won the World Performance Car of the Year and Volkswagen's Bluemotion trio, the Rabbit, Golf and Passat, for World Green Car of the Year.

Chevrolet Camaro is an internationally popular model and if you are looking at purchasing one for yourself, you can keep your hopes alive. For General Motors is planning to launch the Camaro and Corvette in Indian markets soon. These cars will be sold in small numbers, through unique boutiques.

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Mercedes Benz India has done what it has thought is best. They have widened their product portfolio of the popular E-Class model series by introducing two new engines the E 250 V6 and the E 250 CDI (BE). Both variants are introduced in the popular 'Elegance' styling line.

“We have continued the aggressive price position of the New E-Class with the debutante models: the E 250 V6 is priced at Rs. 41.13 Lakhs while the E 250CDI (BE) costs Rs. 39.87 Lakhs Ex-showroom Mumbai. Our endeavor is offer the best value for money to our discerning E-Class customers” commented Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India.

The New E-Class has been a runaway success since its India debut in September 2009. In the last quarter itself, over 450 units of E 350 and E 350 CDI have been sold in top-of-the-line Avantgarde styling.

The New E-Class has also won critical acclaim for its driving dynamics, performance, aggressive looks and environmental compatibility: it has been hailed as the 'Best Premium Luxury Automobile of the year' in India at the NDTV-CAR Awards 2010, CNBC-Overdrive Awards 2010, ET - ZigWheels awards and lastly the UTVi - Autocar Awards 2010. The E-Class also won the 'Green Steering Award' at AutoBild Awards 2010.

For more than 50 years, the saloons in the E-Class and their predecessors have been acknowledged as trendsetters in the arena of luxury, safety and driving dynamics. Continuing this tradition with an unrivalled combination of the latest in technology assistance, the New E 250 V6 and E 250 CDI also safety features the distinctive technologies of the New E-Class like that of the drowsiness detection system, LED daytime lighting, Intelligent Lighting System, Advanced Parking Guidance, etc., that make the E-Class a 'Thinking Partner'.

These features can not only see, feel, and respond to dangers by means of its “reflexes,” but also act independently to prevent accidents or minimize their effects.

In the meanwhile Mercedes Benz India with these two launches expects to post a double-digit sales growth this year.

"We are looking at a double-digit growth this year. We have now a whole range of products that are being launched immediately," said Wilfried Aulbur.

Mercedes-Benz India, fully owned by Daimler, manufactures cars and trucks in India at its Pune facility. The company has drawn-up aggressive growth plans with a huge investment happening in Chennai, Aulbur said, without giving further details.

"We are increasing our engagement with India with Indian suppliers. We are getting additional support in engineering and logistics that we are building up to make sure that we can leverage the advantages of India more aggressively," Aulbur said.

The company has made Rs 250-crore investment in its Pune facility, having capacity of 5,000 vehicles which can go up to 12,000 vehicles.

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Volkswagen Polo has been voted the European Car of the Year 2010. This certainly comes as the much needed shot in the arm for Volkswagen which has already set up a manufacturing plant at Pune to produce VW Polo in India.

The expected launch of the Volkswagen Polo in India launch is expected to be in the sidelines of the 2010 New Delhi Auto Expo. This hatchback which already has created some flutters in the Indian automotive circle with it’s to be tagged speculated wallet-friendly price, seems to have announced its arrival in the Indian scene with this award.

Volkswagen Polo had to surpass many world class cars with ease in this stiff competition to win the coveted title which is also one of the oldest and most esteemed awards in Europe which was started in 1964. 59 jurors from 23 European countries cast their votes in today’s competition. The total number of participants of this year’s European Car Of The Year contest was 33.The nearest competitor is Toyota I.Q. which managed to score 337 points while Polo scored 347 points.

The top five contestants are as follows,
1. Volkswagen Polo 347 points, 59 votes, 25 vote wins
2. Toyota iQ 337 points, 58 votes, 20 vote wins
3. Opel/Vauxhall Astra 221 points, 55 votes, 5 vote wins
4. Skoda Yeti 158 points, 54 votes, 4 vote wins
5. Mercedes-Benz E-class 155 points, 48 votes, 2 wins

The rating and judgement have done on total value proposition of the car, not only on luxury aspects of the car. It is quite interesting to see that Polo has been voted above two well proven cars like that of Skoda Yeti and Mercedes Benz E-Class. We are expecting Skoda Yeti in India in upcoming 2010 Auto Expo. So India will become another warfront for these German engineering marvels.

Not only was the award jury impressed by the new Polo. Since its market launch in May of this year, Volkswagen has received over 130,000 orders for the new benchmark car of the compact class. The Polo is available as a dynamic 3-door and comfortable 5-door in Germany. As the Polo BlueMotion, just 3.3 litre fuel consumption makes it the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly five-seater in the world.

VW Polo is expected to be priced below 4.5 lakhs in India. The Indian version of Polo may be a stripped version of the European Polo. Soon after VW Polo’s hatchback arrival we may witness the VW Polo Sedan also.

The last time the Volkswagen won was way back in 1992 with its new third generation Golf which emerged victorious over the likes of Opel Astra and Citroën ZX.

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German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz which also is a pioneer in innovations has joined hands with Hughes Telematics, to launch a new feature that will allow owners of its vehicles access to an 18 different services via a nifty telematics system.

The new feature which is called “mbrace”, offers everything from a vehicle locator for crowded car parks, somebody to direct you if you get lost or even the ability to order online, all whilst sitting in the driver’s seat.

This feature “mbrace” is quite similar to Ford’s Sync system and GM’s OnStar which also enables pairing of smart phones like iPhones and BlackBerrys to the car’s electronic interface. Drivers can then use their phones to lock or unlock their cars remotely.

Other services include automatic emergency service notification in case the car is stolen or in an accident, a vehicle health check function that goes live to the nearest dealership, real-time weather and traffic reports, and even a concierge service that gets you 24/7 access to a customer-service rep who will help you make dinner reservations, book a hotel or order a flight.

The mbrace system is being offered as standard equipment on all Mercedes-Benz models except the GLK, C-Class, SLK and the new E-Class Coupe, where it is being offered as an option. A subscription to the service is free for the six months, after which it will cost $280 a year. An additional $20 per month is needed for the concierge service.

What makes mbrace really stand out is that it is fully upgradable, with new applications easily installed as they are developed. Furthermore, most vehicle owners using the current Tele Aid telematics service can also upgrade to mbrace by visiting a Mercedes-Benz dealer.

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CNG is “in” and how? Mercedes Benz India has itself endorsed the idea of introducing the CNG variant of its new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. This step probably might boost the sales of E-Class in India and might as well propel the sales of Mercedes units in India so that it will regain its lost territory. Oof! What a thought?

Mercedes Benz India is contemplating to bring in and deliver the CNG variant of its popular model E-Class sedan to the customers who want them.

But the CNG variant comes with a catch, it has to be imported. Well, so what’s the hitch you might ask? India, which has got its own, one of a kind, infamous import duty policy will be a deterrent to the customers who would want to import the CNG versions of the car.

This is because the imported car will attract 104 per cent duty, which will mean that it will be twice as much the latest edition of the E-Class (petrol) that costs Rs 45.89 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). The fact that CNGis largely retailed in Delhi and Mumbai also means that the market will be confined to these two cities.

Mercedes Benz India would consider assembly of the CNG version if there was adequate demand. The petrol Merc models are E-25 (25 per cent mix of ethanol) compliant while the diesel options can operate on bio-diesel.

Mercedes had earlier conducted a trial run of the CNG-E Class in India. The mileage of the car is estimated to be 18 km a kg.

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Seems like all the car makers are in a car launching spree in India these days! We all know the reason behind it, right?

We, here at Carazoo.com, are there to help make our readers select a car from the wide collection of latest launches.

Now we have another luxury car in the market. German car maker Mercedes-Benz India has introduced an all-new version of the 2010 E-Class sedan in India. The new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class is priced at Rs 46.98 Lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The new variant of the E-Class can boast a 3.5 litre V-6 petrol engine under its bonnet. The engine can tap 268 bhp at 6000rpm and can deliver a hefty torque of 350 Nm.

The twin-trapezoidel headlamps and the uber cool upright grille are borrowed from past cars. Same is the case with the square-out bumpers, flanks and rear view mirrors. The new E-Class is an enormous car with ample of space in the interior. The posh cabin has wood inserts for a classy feel. Moreover, the electric seat adjustments are on the door for easy access.

This sedan has been assembled very much in India. The luxury car maker has sold a total of 11,000 units of the existing E-Class in the country till date.

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Mercedes-Benz has slipped down from the competition as the going for the brand in India seems tough with BMW already surpassing it as a new market leader in its class.

The growing sales of BMW have really put this luxury carmaker into deep thought of how to stand on par with it. Mercedes-Benz has been showing a decline in sales for the past few months while the sales of BMW is shooting high and has a whole range of new cars that will be launched by the company in the next few months.

Currently in the number two position, Mercedes-Benz has high hopes set on its upcoming model, W1212 also aptly called as the new E-class which is a ninth generation car. Having had launched a new M-class model in the country this year; the E-Class model is expected to hit the Indian roads by the end of September this year and will share its looks with its predecessor W1210.

Both the diesel and petrol variant of the car will be available, but the diesel variant will follow the petrol variant only by the end of the year. And the company really needs to speed up on this as the diesel variants are gaining more popularity than the petrol engine cars.

The petrol version of the car will be powered by 3.5 liter 24valve V6 direct injection gas engine delivering a power of 292 bhp. And the diesel version of the car will have a 320CDi engine.

As of now, neither the price nor any other specifications of the car is available.

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