Mercedes S 600 Guard launched in India at Rs. 8.90 crores

With the rising number of billionaires in India, Mercedes-Benz identified a market for armored vehicles in the country. Today, the German luxury carmaker, launches an armored version of its flagship sedan named the S 600 Guard.

This car is certified by the highest ballistics protection class at the moment - VR9 (according to BRV 2009). Body strength is achieved by the reinforcement of the base structure, integrated into the body shell at production stage. It has got protective components of steel integrated into the cavities between the body structure and outer skin. Additional splinter protection is provided by Aramide and PE components. The glass areas are thicker and coated with polycarbonate on the inside which protects the passengers from splinters. This car can withstand rifle fire from military weapons and also from grenades and explosive charges. New Michelin PAX run-flat tyres are a part of standard equipment, which can run a distance of 30 km even after being damaged.

There are hardly any exterior changes to the S Guard 600 to distinguish it from a regular S Class.

The S Guard 600 is powered by a 6.0 litre, 530 BHP V12 petrol engine churns out 830 Nm of torque and is mated to a 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. The car rides on Airmatic air suspension with reinforced suspension components to cope with the increased vehicle weight. Stopping power is provided by significantly larger disc brakes (compared to the standard model) in the front and rear.

Mercedes-Benz claims to have received many pre-orders for this car even before its India launch. Priced at a princely sum of Rs. 8.9 crores onwards (ex-showroom Delhi), this car costs 8x more than a regular S350 CDI, but then, people buying this car aren't the 'regular' buyers anyways.