Germany auto giant, Mercedes-Benz last-week reported that they are aiming to assemble their SUVs M and GL-Class in India by early 2013. In addition to India, Thailand and Indonesia will be the other two markets where the sports utility vehicles will be manufactured locally. It is further said, “For the first time, Daimler will start the final assembly of the SUV model series for the new Mercedes-Benz M-and GL-Class outside the SUV parent plant in Tuscaloosa/Alabama, USA.”
Talking about the same, the company added saying “The necessary preparations at the selected three production sites in India, Thailand and Indonesia are proceeding in full steam ahead. Later on in the year, Final Assembly of the M-Class using CKD kits will start there for the respective local market.”
It is believed that the in house production will serve two purposes. First, it will bring down the cost of the car and secondly, it will drastically reduce the delivery time of these cars. These two factors are expected to give a thrust to the demand and if there is demand, sales will be high and thus it will help the German car maker to regain its lost title of being the top luxury car maker in the country.
Currently Mercedes-Benz at its facility, near pune in Maharashtra develops its C-Class, E-Class and S-Class sedans. The M-Class will be the fourth car that the car maker will be assembling in India. All these are luxury sedans and M-Class will be the first Mercedes SUV to be assembled in the country. The locally assembled M-Class and GL-Class will roll out of the Pune plant next-year.
Also see – 2012 Mercedes-Benz GL63 AMG officially unveiled
All new Mercedes M-class SUV launched in India at Rs.56.9 lakh
