Made-in-India Mercedes-Benz E-Class launched at Rs 56.15 lakh

MUMBAI: German automaker Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday launched the long-wheelbase (LWB) version of the E-Class in India at a starting price of Rs 56.15 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai). India is the only country in the world to get the right-hand drive version of the LWB E-Class.

In terms of features, the biggest selling point of the new E-Class is the class-leading rear legroom. Thanks to the extended wheelbase, the 2017 E-Class outshines all its rivals from BMW , Jaguar , Audi and Volvo in this respect. The newness doesn't end there.

The feature list includes full-LED headlamps, air suspension (diesel only), all-four electronically operated seats, 12.3-inch infotainment system which is mated to a 13-speaker sound system by Burmester, panoramic sunroof, touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel and 64-colour ambient lighting.

Under the hood, customers in India will have an option to choose from two trims - E 200 (petrol) and E 350 d (diesel). While the 2.0-litre, four-pot petrol engine produces 184PS of power and 300Nm of torque, the 3.0-litre diesel V6 cranks out 258PS of power and 620Nm of torque. The 0-100kmph time for the diesel stands at 6.6 seconds and for the petrol at 8.5 seconds, which is 0.6 seconds slower than the outgoing model. Both the engines come mated with the 9G-Tronic nine-speed auto box and the power is sent to the rear wheels only.

The list of main rivals includes the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series (which will soon be replaced by an all-new model), Volvo S90 and the Jaguar XF+ , the production of which was recently localised.

Mercedes Benz India Limited