Dream Rich: Dream S-Class, is the statement that Mercedes had created with the new S in the recent past. But that attracted only the wealthiest for a price near to the one that of Bentley, Rolls-Royce and their likes. However, if believed of selling vehicles in leveraging numbers in India, then should have a starting variant too. And making the aspiration comes true for the small diesel buyers Mercedes-Benz India had started accepting the bookings of S 350 CDI. It will be almost similar to the locally-made S 500 on equipment list, but owners would miss out certain features available on the range-topping version. Naming some of them, it could be the Burmester sound system “without 3D surround”, plain leather upholstery instead of nappa, rear seat to be a “bench” instead of two individual seats without the centre-armrest mounted tables, and exclusion of chilling and heating cupholders as well. On the driving comfort, a normal reversing camera to be planted instead of 360-degree unit on the S 500, and the Mercedes night-vision package also won’t be on offer on the S 350 CDI.
Expected to be pegged near to Rs 1.25 crore (approx ex-showroom) Mercedes S 350 CDI a fair bit more expensive than direct rivals like the A8 L 3.0 TDI (Rs 1.12 crore), BMW 730Ld (Rs 1.02 crore) and the recently launched, locally assembled Jaguar XJ 3.0 TDI (Rs 92.1 lakh).
Buyers can book their S 350 CDI with a booking amount of Rs 5 lakh and deliveries stated to begin by June-end of start of July. Kudos to the local manufacturing, this Merc sedan too will be built in India at Mercedes’ manufacturing facility in Pune.
