Roland Folger, former head of Mercedes-Benz’s Malaysian operations, recently took charge as the Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India. His predecessor, Eberhard Kern doubled the sales of the company in India during his stint. Folger has taken charge at a time when Mercedes-Benz India is not only in the leadership position, but also when the luxury car segment in the country is expanding.
“When I started (in Malaysia), our market share was around 38 per cent. In Malaysia, the biggest contributor to the overall growth was, and I’m very happy to see this happening in India already before I start, that you need to ensure the factory has capacity and has products available, which basically mirrors our commitment to the local market with our local manufacturing direction here. Adding new products is also a significant driver of volume for us. That’s what I bring from Malaysia because we introduced completely new models, hybrid models in the case of Malaysia, which has never been there before. I have no idea yet about how hybrid models will work in context of India though,” said Roland Folger.
In June 2015, Mercedes-Benz announced the addition of a new production line at its Chakan plant in Pune to double its annual capacity to 20,000 units, up from 10,000 units earlier. The expansion is a clear indicator that demand for luxury cars in India is on a rise and Mercedes-Benz India wants to be prepared for the same. With a total of 12 new outlets inaugurated in the period of Jan-Sep 2015, Mercedes boasts of the densest network presence for any luxury car maker at 80 outlets in 39 cities.
Besides, Mercedes has kept strong focus on localisation in India. In fact, almost nine out of ten cars sold in India are locally assembled. The carmaker believes local assembly of cars is the key to become successful in the luxury car business. The carmaker recently announced plans to locally assemble the CLA sedan (petrol and diesel) as well as the petrol GLA SUV at the company's Chakan plant. The former will become the company’s seventh model to be locally assembled after the C-class, the E-class, the S-class, the M-class, GL-class and the GLA-class.
Range Rover Sport SVR now on saleLand Rover India has added the top-spec Range Rover Sport SVR model to its line-up. The Range Rover Sport SVR is a direct rival to the Mercedes-AMG ML63 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Honed at the Nürburgring, the SVR has been developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations unit, which is headed by former Land Rover boss, John Edwards. The Range Rover Sport SVR is powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 that churns out a massive 542bhp. It does a 0-100kph sprint in just 4.5 seconds and goes on to a limited top speed of 261kph. The SVR’s engine is also found in some of Jaguar’s most potent models, including the F-type R Coupé and XFR-S saloon. The 5,000cc all-aluminium unit produces 69.3kgm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels through a revised ZF-supplied eight-speed automatic transmission, which can be controlled by steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters or the gearstick. Gearbox functions include the blipping of the throttle in high-speed downshifts. Off-road ability is maintained by having permanent four-wheel drive, a two-speed transfer case, and an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch in the centre differential. On-road performance is boosted by a recalibration of the Dynamic Active Rear Locking Differential, which sends torque to the rear wheel with the most traction. The torque-vectoring differential effect is imitated by a Torque Vectoring by Braking function, while the dynamic stability control system is also retuned. The SVR uses a two-stage active exhaust with electronically controlled valves, which, according to Land Rover, creates a race car-like soundtrack. The chassis has been tuned for improved agility, the SVR featuring air suspension and adaptive dampers, and stiffer, lighter components. Key to the SVR’s cornering ability is an Active Roll Control system, which replaces anti-roll bars with a hydraulic pump on each axle to control body roll and allow the car to “deliver a progressive breakaway on the limit”. Weight has also been added to the variable-ratio electronic steering system. Fitted as standard to the SVR are 21-inch alloys shod in 275/45 R21 tyres. Optional are 22-inch alloys equipped with 295/40R22 Continental SportContact 5 performance tyres. Stopping power comes from Brembo brakes with six-piston callipers.
The SVR is easily distinguished from other Range Rover Sports by a series of design changes. There’s a new front bumper with larger air intakes, a new grille finish, flared wheel arches, a new rear bumper with integrated diffuser and quad exhaust pipes, and a rear spoiler.
The cabin is equipped with new and luxuriously trimmed sports seats, alongside standard aluminium trim and optional carbonfibre trim. The interiors can be had in four different colour schemes.
The Range Rover Sport SVR is priced at Rs 2.12 crore (ex-showroom).
