The iconic Mercedes Gelandewagen, popularly known as G-Class, will pack a robust electric powertrain under the hood, informed Mercedes-Benz India Chief Executive Officer Santosh Iyer during the company’s fourth Annual Press Conference. 

Unveiling the new G 580, Vice President Sales and Marketing Lance Bennett said, “The electric Gelandewagen is powered by the EQ technology and more. Electrifying this iconic vehicle presented several challenges as we needed to preserve its signature design and legendary off-road capabilities. Integrating EV components required us to develop a unique drive system featuring four individual electric motors.”  

“At the rear, the motors are connected to form a rigid axle, ensuring exceptional off-road traction. The axle is equipped with a two-speed gearbox, enabling gear reduction for low-range, off-road performance. The G 580 stands apart from other G-Class models with its raised bonnet and rear wheel arch air curtains. These elements are seamlessly integrated to improve aerodynamics and acoustic performance.”  

The electric variant delivers 587 horsepower and an astounding 1,164 Nm of torque, courtesy of its four electric motors. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds. Powered by a large 116 kWh battery and an intelligent recuperation system, it offers a WLTP range of up to 473 kilometers. Fast charging from 10 percent to 80 percent takes only 32 minutes.  

Like every G-Class, the G 580 underwent the legendary Schöckl test, completing the grueling trail 336 times. This symbolic number guarantees every G-Class meets the highest standards of durability, reliability and off-road capability, earning it the Schöckl badge displayed on the B-pillar.  

“To put this into perspective, the G 580 can complete the Schöckl trail 13 times on a single charge. Its electric drivetrain and low-range gearbox make it the most capable off-roader in its class. It can climb inclines of up to 45 degrees—even in reverse—and wade through water up to 850 mm deep,” added Bennett.   

“Engineers have designed a water- and dust-proof battery pack, encased within the ladder chassis. The innovative four-motor drive system also allows for unique off-road maneuvers, enabling the vehicle to pivot on the spot by up to 720 degrees. This feature ensures that if you reach a dead end on a trail, you can turn around with ease.

Another highlight is the G-Steer function, which tightens the turning circle off-road by braking the inner wheel to slide the rear end around sharp bends,” revealed the executive.   

Inside, the electric off-road cockpit and Dynamic Select system offer a range of driving modes. In Rock Mode, the G 580 crawls effortlessly in low range with speed adjustable via steering wheel paddles, making hill ascents and descents seamless.  

The G 580 is available in a special Edition 1 model, offered in five colors including the exclusive Manufaktur South Sea Blue Magno. This edition features AMG line styling, the night package and 20-inch black alloy wheels. Additional details include blacked-out door handles with keyless go and blue brake calipers.  

The G580 is priced at INR 30 million (ex-showroom, pan-India). This icon has already garnered electrifying demand and is sold out until Q3 2025! Bookings and deliveries for the G 580 will start in Q4 2025, noted a company official. 

EQS 450 SUV

The company also launched its 5-Seater EQS 450 SUV during the event. Commenting on the same, Iyer noted, “The EQS 450 SUV builds on the success of the EQS 580, which we launched a few months ago. The EQS 450 caters to customers seeking cutting-edge technology, generous space, and sustainability at its core.”  

“We launched the EQS 580 in September last year in a 7-seater configuration. The response was phenomenal. We received feedback that there was a demand for both 7-seater and 5-seater variants. The EQS 580 exceeded all expectations, selling out within three months of its launch. Deliveries for the 7-seater will resume in April 2025, while the 5-seater variant is set to roll out soon.  The EQS SUV line-up now includes two configurations: the 7-seater EQS 580, ideal for larger families with pets and frequent travel needs and the 5-seater EQS 450, designed for nuclear families who still want generous luggage space,” he added.   

The EQS 450 comes in the electric art line, which distinguishes it from the 7-seater variant. It boasts features like energising air control, advanced luggage capacity and an impressive WLTP-certified range of 820 kilometers, making it one of the longest-range electric SUVs.  

It is priced at INR 12.8 million(ex-showroom). Deliveries will begin in February 2025. 

Look back into 2024

It was reported that Mercedes-Benz India achieved its best-ever sales of 19,565 units during the January to December 2024 period, representing a 12.4 percent increase compared to the 17,408 units sold in the same period in 2023. Growth during the second half of 2024 (July to December) was noted to be a strong 16 percent.

The fastest-growing segment was top-end vehicles (TEVs), which experienced a 30 percent year-to-date (YTD) growth. It was also highlighted that one out of every four Mercedes-Benz cars sold in India in 2024 was a TEV.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) also marked its best-ever sales with a 94 percent YTD growth, achieving over 6 percent sales penetration. It was noted that Mercedes-Benz introduced four new BEVs in 2024 namely, EQA 250+, EQB SUV, EQS SUV 580 and the Maybach EQS SUV. This expansion of the BEV portfolio reportedly generated significant customer interest and reinforced Mercedes-Benz’s leadership in the luxury BEV segment by achieving its highest-ever annual BEV sales.  

Moreover, the company achieved the sale of 200,000 cars in India since 1994. It was mentioned that of these, 100,000 cars were sold in just the last six years (2019–2024). 

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services also achieved a portfolio of INR 10 billion in India with over 50 percent penetration. It was stated that every second Mercedes-Benz retailed in India was financed through the service, which also attained an 80 percent insurance penetration rate. 

Road Ahead

The company revealed plans for the launch of eight new models in 2025 with most focusing on BEVs and TEVs to offer consumers the latest products and cutting-edge intuitive technology. The company was also reported to expand its luxury network reach in 2025, planning 20 new luxury outlets supported by a commitment of over INR 4.5 billion in investment from franchise partners over three years.

It was stated that the focus on TEVs extended beyond cars with plans to partner for dedicated stores selling Maybach collection items, the first of which would be opening in Bengaluru.

Mercedes-Benz India announced a collaboration with Tata Cliq Luxury to allow enthusiasts to purchase or gift exclusive Mercedes-Benz collection items online through the ‘House of Mercedes-Benz’. 

To mark the milestone of 200,000 vehicles on Indian roads, Mercedes-Benz reportedly launched several corporate citizenship initiatives. The company committed INR 75 million to road safety initiatives aimed at reducing accidents and fatalities on highways like the ‘Samrudhhi Mahamarg’ and the ‘Nizamabad Corridor’ in Hyderabad.

Additionally, a new retail campaign was launched to celebrate the 200,000 milestone, offering exclusive event invitations to existing customers and a chance for a lucky new customer to attend the F1 race in Monaco.

There are four Bugatti sports cars that represent automotive innovation like no others cars do.

It would come as a surprise that the four cars that represent innovation in automobiles in its purest form are all Bugatti sports cars. Showcasing the evolution of automobiles in a way that is unique and amounts to flexing the boundaries of what machines can really be or do what they are expected to do to the fullest, the four Bugatti cars are the Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, Chiron Super Sport 300+ and the W16 Mistral World Record Car.

Successful in carving out a niche, each of the four cars – ultra super cars – have come to represent Bugatti’s incomparable legacy. The Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, on a beautiful day of April 2010, achieved a new land speed world record for production cars on the proving grounds of the Volkswagen Group at Ehra-Lessien (nearby its headquarters at Wolfsburg). In the presence of the German Technical Inspection Agency (TÜV) and a representative of Guinness Book of Records, the Super Sport achieved an average top speed of 431 kmph!

Bugatti’s Pilote Officiel Pierre Henri Raphanel put his helmet and gloves on, pulled the safety belts tight whilst the engineers checked the car a very last time for tyre pressure, temperature and all the systems.

The orange-black Super Sport crossed the light barrier within one hour by driving from South to North and then in the opposite direction. The driver being the only one to touch the car during the record run, the description of the Veyron as its headlights appeared at a certain point of the track was of a jumbo jet coming closer and simply jetting by.

The GPS-tachometer recorded a speed of as much as 933 kmph. The average speed generated by the TUV and Guinness representatives was a whopping 431.072 kmph, which surprised even the Bugatti team.

The roadster version of Veyron 16.4 Super Sport World Record Edition, Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse World Record Edition, set the world speed record for open-top production sports cars at the Volkswagen Group’s proving grounds in Ehra-Lessien.

TÜV, the renowned independent German organisation for technical inspection and certification, officially confirmed that a top speed of 408.84 kmph was achieved when the super car was driven by the Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu in 2013.

On the market since the spring of 2012, the open-top sports car is fitted with an 8.0 litre W16 engine that pours 1,200 PS and a torque of 1,500 Nm at 3,000 to 5,000 rpm on the road. Its high-performance handling can be attributed to a racing chassis, which together with extremely fast-acting shock absorbers and reinforced anti-roll bars, guarantees exact control of both the four-wheel drive system and the entire vehicle.

The other factors that enable such performance at the upper limits include a standard carbon monocoque with high torsional rigidity and an outer shell made entirely of carbon fibre. With wind noise and air turbulence a particular concern with open-top vehicles, the Vitesse is offered with a specially developed roof spoiler along with an intricately designed windbreak that guarantees calm open-top driving.

The Chiron Super Sport 300+ is the fastest Bugatti ever made, redefining what is possible when it comes to speed and aerodynamics. Piloted by Bugatti’s Pilote Officiel Andy Wallace, the hypercar smashed through the 482.803 kmph (300 mph) barrier in 2019. Never had a production car reached such speeds ever!

Occupying a spot in the history and standing as a marker in the quest for greater performance and speed, the hypercar was fitted with a re-engineered version of Bugatti’s legendary 8.0 litre W16 engine that produced 1,600 PS of power. A new thermal management system for the engine and gearbox were developed. Refinements to the software governing the engine, gearbox and turbochargers were also made.

To ensure top notch stability, the car was fitted with a ‘longtail’ that extended the car length by approximately 25 cm. This allowed the laminar flow to pass over the body for a longer period of time, reducing aerodynamic stall by more than 40 percent. Air curtains adorning the hyper sports car’s front corners dispersed excess air pressure towards the car’s sides. Simultaneously, air outlets at the wheel arches and behind the front wheels guided excess pressure away from each wheel arch, reducing drag by also producing a small amount of negative lift. Liberal use of exposed carbon fibre – flowing through into the car’s engine cover and the windscreen wiper, thereby contributing to crucial weight-saving that helps the hyper sports car push the envelope of performance – was resorted to. Extremely light and strong magnesium alloy wheels were deployed.

Andy Wallace – Bugatti Pilote Officiel and winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours – assumed the controls of the one-off W16 Mistral World Record Car, warming up the vehicle’s bespoke high-performance tyres on a first anticipatory lap. Ascending to a specified speed of 200 kmph into the banking of the track (of ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg GmbH), he increased the speed before unleashing the full power of the vehicle as the straight opened up coming off the banking, taking it to new heights of record speed in November 2024. Under the meticulous control of SGS-TÜV Saar GmbH, the achievement of a new world top-speed record for an open-top car was officially confirmed at the end of the run, with Andy reaching an incredible 453.91 kmph.

The EUR 14 million hypercar is powered by an 8.0-litre, quad-turbo, W16 engine that does an impressive 1,578 bhp. Innovative is the W16 Mistral’s X-taillight arrangement, which channels hot air from the radiators through ducts towards the rear of the vehicle. The air is expelled through the vents in the X-taillight arrangement.

The hypercar’s ramp-design diffuser accelerates the air’s journey from the rear of the vehicle, which increases downforce and helps the model excel at high speeds. Contributing to the vehicle’s excellent stability are bespoke high-performance tyres.

MT

Skoda Auto Volkswagen India has become the latest carmaker in the country to have achieved a 5-star Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP) rating for the Skoda Kylaq SUV. This also makes it the first vehicle by the Group to have been voluntarily assessed and aced the test for both adult and child occupants.

Launched in 2023, by Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), the Bharat NCAP aims to address road traffic fatalities and injuries in the country by improving vehicle safety standards.

The Skoda Kylaq is the brand’s first sub-4 metre SUV especially designed and developed for the Indian market. The Kylaq scored 30.88 points of 32 points in adult occupant protection and 45 points out of 49 points in child occupant protection.

Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, “Safety is at the heart of our engineering philosophy, and Skoda Kylaq exemplifies this ethos. I’m proud to mention that Kylaq is our first car to participate and receive full 5-star Bharat NCAP rating for adult and child occupants. The 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating for Kylaq highlights our continued focus on creating vehicles that combine world-class safety standards, cutting-edge technology and manufacturing excellence. With the growing demand for safer cars, the Bharat NCAP rating empowers consumers to make informed decisions, ensuring protection for self and family. Equipped with the world-class active and passive safety features across variants, Kylaq has set a new benchmark in the segment. This motivates us to raise the bar even higher for future innovations.”

The Kylaq achieved 15.035 out of 16 points in the frontal offset barrier test for adult occupant protection, demonstrating a stable occupant compartment and footwell. In the side-moving deformable barrier test, it scored 15.840 points out of 16 points. For child occupant protection, Kylaq earned the maximum possible 16 points in the frontal offset barrier test and full 8 points in the side-moving deformable barrier test for 1.5 and 3-year-old children. Furthermore, the vehicle secured maximum points in the recommended child seat assessment and 9 out of 13 points in the vehicle-based assessment.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex body representing automakers in the country, has released the wholesales data for December 2024 and Q3 FY2025.

A total of 14,73,237 vehicles were sold last month, which was 5 percent lower compared to 15,49,597 units sold last year. This includes, 314,934 passenger vehicles, up 10 percent YoY, 52,733 three-wheelers, up 4 percent YoY and 11,05,565 two-wheelers, down 9 percent YoY.

For Q3 FY2025, the auto sales grew by 3 percent at 63,59,647 units, as compared to 61,67,583 units a year ago. Interestingly, SUVs and motorcycles were the key drivers for the auto wholesales and their segment too. A total of 10,58,145 passenger vehicles were sold in the last quarter, which marked a 5 percent uptick YoY. Three-wheeler sales came at 1,88,853 units, which was a flat growth, as compared to 1,88,434 units sold last year. The commercial vehicle sales came at 2,38,050 units, up 1 percent YoY, while two-wheeler sales came at 48,74,590 units, up 3 percent YoY, as compared to 47,31,436 units sold last year.

Shailesh Chandra, President, SIAM, said, “2024 has been reasonably good for the auto industry. Positive consumer sentiments and the country’s macroeconomic stability, helped in propelling reasonable growth for the sector across vehicle segments. The stable policy ecosystem of Government of India in 2024, carrying on from the previous years, has helped the industry. As the new year commences with a positive sentiment being created through the Bharat Mobility Global Expo, this momentum would further propel growth in 2025.”

As per SIAM, passenger vehicles and three-wheelers witnessed their highest-ever yearly sales in 2024.

Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), the country's largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has announced its Eeco MPV has completed 15 years in the country.

Launched in 2010, the Eeco has been a popular seller for the company. It can be had in 5-seater and 7-seater configuration for people movement, cargo, tour and ambulance configurations too.

The Eeco is powered by Maruti Suzuki India’s 1.2L K-Series Dual Jet, Dual VVT engine options, which currently make up for 57 percent of its sales. It can also be had in S-CNG offering that constitutes the remaining 43 percent of sales. In terms of safety, the Eeco is equipped with a driver airbag, ABS with EBD, reverse parking sensors, seat belt reminders and speed alert system.

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said, "Our Eeco has been a pillar of strength for our customers across the nation. From providing Joy of Mobility, to powering the livelihoods of entrepreneurs, and businesses, the Eeco has earned its place as a trusted companion. Regarded as India’s most-loved van, it has proven its mettle not only in urban markets but also in rural regions, which contribute a remarkable 63% to its overall sales. We sincerely thank our customers for their trust in a brand that is India’s pride and partner in progress.”