[avishar]

Mercedes has lined up some new engines for the S-class:

• Currently, the S-Class comes with a 5.5 litre V8 and a 3.0 litre V6 diesel. The 3.5 litre V6 petrol has recently been discontinued
• Mercedes Benz will now offer a 3.0 litre V6 petrol with a modest 228 bhp in the base variant the S300L. The new entry level S-Class will cost around Rs 70 lakh which is almost Rs 12.5 lakh cheaper than the old S350L
• Further, a S350 CGI with direct injection V6 and 302 bhp would be added in the coming months.
• A 429 bhp S500 CGI will also make the list of petrol engines that will be available in India.
  

Mercedes new launches for 2011 and tentative launch dates:

• Mercedes is planning the new CLS-Class during Q3 of 2011. The new CLS is offered with 4-, 6-cylinder diesels and 6-, 8-cylinder petrols internationally. The CLS 350 CDI BlueEfficiency producing 265 bhp and the CLS 350 BlueEfficiency producing 306 bhp could be the best pick for the Indian market for a kick-off.
• Coming to the next launch – the new SLK sports convertible could debut by Nov-Dec 2011.
• The C-Class facelift is scheduled for a Diwali release. The new C-Class has a revised front-end and new direct injection engines. A 1.8-liter 4 cylinder direct-injected, turbocharged engine producing 201 horsepower could be the starting point of the new range.

Sources: www.Indianautosblog.com

[theragingbull]

I feel the 3.0 V6 in the S-class will be quite under powered for a car that weighs over 2 tonnes! But not sure if it will really affect the 'chauffeur-driven' segment much.

However, the new CLS looks very exciting. Gorgeous looks and very efficient and powerful engines. Perfect recipe for India.

The C-class facelift with its Laura-esque headlamps doesn't really look exciting. But the 1.8 engine would surely bring the entry price down.

[333]

Now the German 3 are looking at cutting down on costs and making their cars more affordable than ever before. Though this is a good thing for the customers, I wonder if it is a good sign for the brand value of the formidable 3.

[M00M]

Just read a tweet of autocarindia editor that mercedes is increasing prices across the board from 1st May. I wish they had cut them instead.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by theragingbull

The C-class facelift with its Laura-esque headlamps doesn't really look exciting. But the 1.8 engine would surely bring the entry price down.

The C already has the 1.8 engine, its the C200 CGI.

Cmon Merc, BMW is already beating them and they are going to make Indian customers wait 6 months extra for the C class facelift? Indian consumers are well aware, so we can expect the C class sales to probably slow down a bit till the facelft.

And Mercedes is doing a BMW in the luxo-barge segment with the S300. Same way BMW launched the 320d CE and the 520d. I think this will certainly help increase the sales of the S by a fair margin. And the engine will be enough for a chauffeur driven car, and good enough for the few times an owner drives it. These cars are surprisingly light for their size, so it may be not scorcher, but underpowered it will be not.

[.anshuman]

The S class is an ageing horse. It really feels dated in comparison to BMW 7 and Audi A8L. Even the current line-up of engines is not a match to the competition.

Originally Posted by M00M

Just read a tweet of autocarindia editor that mercedes is increasing prices across the board from 1st May. I wish they had cut them instead.

This is after prices for BMWs have gone up by 60-80k this month.

[n:CorE]

Now this is an interesting move by mercedes. As akshay said, the on-going C200 CGI does have the 1.8L in-line 4-cylinder engine, but i highly doubt that it churned out a healthy ~200bhp. The facelifted C-Class is definitely going to be a good 2-3 lakhs more expensive than the ongoing models. The facelift doesn't show much on paper IMO. List of equipment seems to be an answer to the lower segment VW Passat and the Volvo S60 from its own league. BMW is seeming to chew the market as far as the entry level (3-series) and middle level (5-series) luxury car segment.

What Mercedes needs is an aggresive pricing strategy to really take control of the market share IMO. They seem to be doing the exact opposite :-|

[GTO]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

The S class is an ageing horse.

Aging horse yes. But the S-Class is still the most comfortable for the hotshot honchos. The Mercedes has the best rear seat, and the most comforting ride quality.

From Merc's POV, most S-Class owners are chauffeur driven. They couldn't care less whether there is a V6 or V12 under the hood. Smaller engines will greatly expand the target segment, and even tempt some E Class / 5 series potentials to upgrade.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by GTO

Aging horse yes. But the S-Class is still the most comfortable for the hotshot honchos. The Mercedes has the best rear seat, and the most comforting ride quality.

From Merc's POV, most S-Class owners are chauffeur driven. They couldn't care less whether there is a V6 or V12 under the hood. Smaller engines will greatly expand the target segment, and even tempt some E Class / 5 series potentials to upgrade.

I agree the S class is still the most comfortable limousine in the segment.

AFAIK the suspension can also be raised. I find low GC an issue with these long wheelbase cars. Some years back i was in a 7 series(previous gen), it scraped on a baby speed hump. I enquired, the owner said it cannot be raised. Similarly the Auto mags have raised concerns over A8L's low GC.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by GTO

From Merc's POV, most S-Class owners are chauffeur driven. They couldn't care less whether there is a V6 or V12 under the hood. Smaller engines will greatly expand the target segment, and even tempt some E Class / 5 series potentials to upgrade.

They are trying to bridge the 50l gap between the E class and S class segment. I think it will work, the same way the 520d was a roaring success.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by M00M

Just read a tweet of autocarindia editor that mercedes is increasing prices across the board from 1st May. I wish they had cut them instead.

FYI :

Mercedes Benz India price rise across segments in May 2011 | Rush Lane

[S350L-E240]

Some points from my side,

1. Why S300? Why not the S250 CDI and if they want to bridge the gap they could launch the same with short wheel base and have sat in that car in the uk and trust me the average Indian buyer will find it good enough at the back, and this could easy be priced at about 65L which is where the W220 was priced.

2. The C 180 / 200 and 250 CGI use the same 1.8L block in different tunes. The facelift will be launched towards June as they have quite a bit of old stock / kits with them.

3. SLK and CLS were planned for June and August no idea why they got pushed back this is one area where BMW India is a lot faster at getting cars into India.

And lastly, S class maybe old by now but it still sells in good enough numbers and also leads the market segments in many nations.

Regards,

[avishar]

S250 CDI would be too ambitious i think.I know its enough for most people who are going to chauffeur driven anyway but in India consumers in this price point will still be conscious about buying the most lowest spec,status also plays a role.

But it will be good for maybe company cars or fleet cars.Also Mercedes might not launch it fearing cannibalization of E-class sales.

[vineethvazhayil]

IMHO, 228 BHP on a 70 lakh car is pretty much like Toyota putting the 1.4 l D4D in the Corolla Altis. But then like a lot of folks already mentioned, almost all the buyers of the S class are rear seat passengers and in India who cares if it is a baby 6 cylinder or a Bit turbo V8 - You only can go at limited speeds on our roads anyway.

[S350L-E240]

S250 CDI may sound optimistic but believe me it makes it a lot better compared to the S300 speaking of which what engine is that exactly as I do not see any S300 on the S-Class international price list? Also the drive ability of the S250 CDI is quite nice as they have made some changes to the block and has a 0-100 time of around 8.7 Approx which is not that bad for a big cruiser like this?

Someone mentioned the S-Class engines are out dated? Not really as the new 4.7L and 3.5 CGI engines for the S 500 and S 350 are brand new and have a wonderful output and better fuel effeciency,

Regards,