German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has launched its second-generation GLC for the Indian market. Priced in the range of Rs 73.5 lakh to Rs 74.5 lakh (ex-showroom), the compact luxury crossover sports utility vehicle (SUV) will be pitted against Volvo XC60, BMW X3, Lexus NX and Audi Q3.
Pre-launch bookings for the new GLC are already underway for Rs 1.5 lakh. The SUV comes in two variants—the GLC 300 4MATIC petrol and the GLC 220d 4MATIC diesel—featuring the all-wheel 4MATIC as standard providing traction on all terrains. Nearly 1,500 units of this model have been booked so far. The company has invested nearly Rs 100 crore to upgrade its assembly unit at Chakan, Pune.
Santosh Iyer, MD, Mercedes-Benz India, while unveiling the model, said, “The launch of the new GLC will only make the core luxury segment even bigger, because this product was not available in the market for the last six months.”
The GLC is one of the 14 models the company assembles at its Chakan plant. It will be brought in as completely knocked down (CKD) kits imported from its parent company's facility in Bremen, Germany, and assembled at Chakan.
“GLC is the company's highest selling SUV in the country and also a key product globally. This year we expect this model to contribute around 15 percent of our sales. The bookings have commenced and the response is phenomenal,” Lance Bennett, vice president of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz India, told Moneycontrol at the unveiling.
The SUV will be offered with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol and a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, which will get a 48V integrated starter motor that provides an additional 23hp. Both petrol and diesel engines will come paired with a 9-Speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission.
Apart from the features offered in the first-generation GLC, the 2024 GLC will be equipped with enhanced safety features including blind spot assist, active brake assist, parking with 360-degree camera, active lane-keeping assist, etc.
The new GLC is also the first in the Mercedes-Benz SUV portfolio to get the latest NTG 7 infotainment system and is larger than its predecessor, which helps in packing in significantly more cabin and boot space, the company claims.
Nearly 2.6 million GLCs were sold last year worldwide, making it the highest-selling model for the luxury carmaker. The company sold 13,000 units of this model in India.
Mercedes Benz India is aiming for a double-digit sales growth this year and expects the contribution of SUVs to go up from 52 percent currently to nearly 60 percent. The remaining 48 percent is derived from luxury sedans like the C-Class, E-Class and S-Class.
"We've got some really good demand in the first couple of weeks of order taking. The GLC is a very important product for us. I won’t be surprised if the SUV’s share goes up to 60 percent by the end of this year,” added Bennet.
When queried about new rollouts, Bennett said the company has already introduced the AMG E53, AMG GT 63 e-Performance, AMG A45, G400d and AMG SL55, and is gearing up to drive in more vehicles by 2023-end. On whether the company is looking to assemble more products in the country, he said the automaker keeps evaluating such proposals.
"In the second half of the year, we have lined up five products out of which one would be an EV (electric vehicle)," he said. He didn't specify whether it would be an e-SUV or an e-sedan.
Regarding plans for the upcoming festive season, Bennett said the company is in the process of ramping up supplies to deliver cars to customers during the period.
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