Stars align

The luxury carmaker from Stuttgart reinforces its way ahead in India, with new products and unique strategies in the pipeline

MERCEDES UNVEILED TWO VERSIONS OF THE EQS GLOBALLY LAST YEAR

MERCEDES-BENZ INDIA HAS BEGUN the year on a strong wicket, and the luxury carmaker has planned an even more aggressive strategy for 2022. Which begins with the much-awaited EQS all-electric sedan. Mercedes-Benz has been at the forefront of localisation of performance vehicles in India with their AMG line, and Mercedes aims to achieve similar results by commencing local production of the EQS in India. The company has committed to expand their luxury EV portfolio in India, and EQS is a stepping stone to that.

Mercedes unveiled two versions of the EQS globally last year and it is likely that the EQS 450+ might make it to our shores, making the equivalent of 330bhp and providing you with a range of 780km between charges, as per the WLTP cycle. Considering the terrific response to the S-Class limousine which is now produced in India, it will be interesting to see how the response for the EQS compares against its ICE-powered sibling.

While we are excited to see the EQS in India, Mercedes-Benz’ volume drivers continue to remain the long wheelbase E-Class and the

GLE SUV, closely followed by the GLC, with customers showing maximum preference for these models. The company will also have many more exciting products in store for 2022, across the AMG, Maybach and EQ brands, some of the models being brand new without the lineage of a predecessor!

Mercedes-Benz will also adopt the ‘You First’ strategy for 2022, one that is aimed at fostering better relations with customers, franchise partners, company employees and also when it comes to giving back to the community. Coupled with the ROTF or retail of the future model which allows customers to order vehicles directly from the company (without the dealer acting as a mediator), Mercedes is also planning to curate signature experiences for its customers.

When it comes to the luxury car segment, each rival is trying to gain an edge over the other, and especially in a booming market such as ours, Mercedes truly have an ace up their sleeve with their 2022 gameplan. ⌧