New Delhi :
German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz on Wednesday marked 25 years of producing vehicles in India where it has sold around 1.1 lakh locally made cars. The company had first started assembling cars in India in 1994 with its production site located in the Tata Motors (then Telco) premises before shifting to its own unit.
It is also celebrating 10 years of new manufacturing plant at Chakan in Pune, which was inaugurated in 2009. The company has invested Rs 2,200 crore till date at the facility which is spread over 100 acres. Around 730 people work at the plant.
Mercedes-Benz portfolio produced in Pune comprises a wide range of models Sedans of the C-Class, E-Class, S-Class and CLA Coup as well as Maybach S-Class and SUVs GLA, GLC, GLE and GLS, the company said in a statement.
Mercedes-Benz AG member of the board of management, production and supply chain management Jrg Burzer said, “To produce, where our customers are located, distinguishes our Mercedes-Benz Cars global production network...As the country’s largest luxury carmaker, both anniversaries celebrated this year are significant landmarks for us, the region of Pune and an important sign for the local luxury car market in India.”
“From its humble beginning 25 years back to its current position of strength of being a leading local assembly plant in the global production network, Mercedes-Benz India has successfully established the prowess of local manufacturing in India,” he added. Recently, the German automaker introduced its new multi-purpose vehicle V-Class Elite.
The V-Class Elite, an upgraded version of V-Class Expression and V-Class Exclusive would be built in Spain and sold in domestic market, Company Managing Director and CEO, Martin Schwenk said.
After unveiling the car here, Schwenk said the luxury MPV is priced at Rs 1.10 crore (ex-showroom India) and would be sold along with V-Class product range V-Class Expression at Rs 68.40 lakh (ex-showroom India) and V-Class Exclusive at Rs 81.90 lakh (ex-showroom India).
The company besides launching luxury MPV would also look at unveiling new product every month, he said.
Equipped with a host of features including seats with massaging function, climate control, remote controlled door, 15 speaker surround sound system, the V-Class Elite has agility control suspension system, he said.
The V-Class Elite will be available in a six-seater longer-wheel base variant and complaint to BSVI norms, he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
