Mercedes launches the new E-Class

Luxury automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz Tuesday launched a new version of its most successful sedan E-Class.

According to the company, the new sedan will be available in petrol and diesel powered variants which are priced at Rs.41.50 lakh and Rs.44.48 lakh, respectively (ex-showroom Delhi).

The company will also go ahead with the sale of 100 limited edition units of the sedan which will be priced at Rs.49.90 lakh.

"E-Class has been the most successful vehicle from Mercedes-Benz globally with more than 11 million units sold. In India too, the E-CLass has been the most sold luxury sedan ever and hence is a very important product in our portfolio," Eberhard Kern, managing director and chief executive, Mercedes-Benz India, said.

"This (launch) is the fastest launch of any international luxury automobile manufacturer in India, which comes just six months after the new E-Class was launched internationally."

The importance of the new version in the companies portfolio can be gauged by the fact that 23,000 units of the sedan have been sold since its launch in the country in 1995.

The company requires its bestseller sedan as well as newly-launched entry-level hatchback A-CLass to fend off the stiff competition it is facing from other luxury automobile manufacturers like BMW and Audi.

The new sedan comes with more than 2,000 parts and components, entailing new technologies internally and externally.

The sedan sports a new technology-package known as 'intelligent assist system' which comprises features such as 'Eco start stop' for fuel economy, 'intelligent lighting' for variable light distribution and 'attention assist' which warns the driver about inattentiveness and drowsiness.

The sedan's diesel powered version sports a V4 engine with a displacement of 2,143cc, the petrol-powered version comes with 1,991cc displacement engine.