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Mercedes E-class

The lowdown on the Mercedes E-class, launched at about Rs 30 lakh.

By Swati Prasad & Dipayan Baishya

Will the new Merc take off?

Should luxury car makers bother about price sensitivity? Not really. Especially because much of the perceived value probably rests with the brand.

However, seems like DaimlerChrysler India has got the price-value equation just right with its all-new Mercedes E-Class -- W211. At Rs 33.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), auto analysts consider the new E-Class a darned good purchase. The car is a completely new model that was launched globally only in April 2002. It is, in other words, hot stuff even overseas. "This is the best model that DaimlerChrysler has ever launched in the country. It's great value for money," says Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor, AutoCar India.

The W211 looks much like its predecessor, though a lot more sportier. According to Michael Huber, Managing Director and CEO, DaimlerChrysler India, the "main driving factor behind the W211 will be its elegant and sporty looks and the riding comfort." Huber hopes to sell 120 units of the W211 by the year end. It sports a 2,600-cc V6 engine.

According to Sorabjee, the new E-Class has all the features of the S-Class, which is priced at Rs 60 lakh. "With the new E-Class, DaimlerChrysler has beaten BMW hollow. The current BMW 5 Series stands no chance in front of W210," he adds.

The car has a redefined suspension and has a couple of new safety features, besides the "keyless go" feature, which is present only in the S-Class. The keyless-go system unlocks the code-protected doors by radio signal and also makes the ignition key superfluous. This is an optional feature.

The car has most features of the S-Class. For instance, the engine characteristics of the W211 are adapted to the personal driving style. The car also has a child seat recognition system. This is a transponder system that automatically detects whether a child seat is installed or not. If it is, then the car automatically deactivates the front-passenger air bag in order to protect the child in the rear.

Besides, a sensor on the windscreen detects when the darkness falls and automatically switches the vehicle lights on. This again is a feature borrowed from the S-Class. Besides this, the car has rain sensors so that the speed of the windscreen wiper increases with the intensity of the rain. What's more, when you are entering a tunnel or an underground car park, the windows will open automatically (provided the air-recirculation button has been pressed).

A measuring membrane in the seat registers the weight of the front passenger and uses the data to activate the airbag (according to the relevant crash situation). Besides these hi-tech features, the new E-Class has 'sensotronic' brake control -- this electrohydraulic system improves safety when braking in an emergency.

What this means is that the best that money can buy is not necessarily a fancy S-Class Mercedes (which remains the ultimate status symbol). Now, if that's not value-for-money, what is?

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