Mercedes-Benz is gearing up to make their presence felt in the entry-level luxury segment with the all-new A-Class Limousine. The new sedan replaces the erstwhile CLA though it’s not like a replacement as the CLA was a coupe, and the new A-Class Limousine is a traditional three-box sedan. One may ask, when SUVs are in high demand in both India and globally, why take out a sedan? Mercedes-Benz has the stats to back their logic as the sedan range constituted 53 percent of their sales last year. This new vehicle is available in three variants — petrol, diesel and the all-powerful AMG. We drove the A 200 petrol version. So, let’s find out if it is a total package.

Exteriors

The A-Class sedan makes quite a style statement with a star-studded front grille with a thick chrome line running across it. The angular shaped LED headlights, and L-shaped daytime running lamps (DRLs), the pronounced character lines on the bonnet and chunky lower front bumper with mock air dams all make the A-Class sedan look contemporary and muscular.

Moving on to the side profile, the A-Class Limousine has prominent lines running across the shoulder area and another line on the lower part of the doors. As it’s not a coupe, the sedan gets a taller roofline. It may look more or less identical to its hatchback sibling till the B-pillar, and from there till the boot, it looks like a ‘baby’ C-Class, which is a good thing as this sedan looks proportionate and regal.

Coming to the rear, it has a clean design. One may find it a bit too simple, but the edgy looking LED taillights, and the trapezoid twin exhaust pipes in chrome make the rear styling more appealing. In terms of practicality, the petrol version has a boot capacity of 405-litres and while the diesel gets 395-litres. The loading bay is wide and accessible, making it easy to plonk a full-sized stroller. The boot is deep enough to store two full-sized suitcases or strollers.

Interiors

Step inside the cabin, and the design language is on the lines of the S-Class, but the icing on the cake is that they have managed to create a rich and luxurious ambience. The beautifully crafted three-layer dashboard uses premium leather, wooden and metal materials. The centre of attraction has to be the two 10.25-inch screens — one is the touchscreen infotainment system, and the other is the all-digital instrument cluster. Both the screens’ graphics are outstanding, while the touchscreen is responsive. The multi-media system can also be controlled by the haptic pad on the central console. Unlike the previous generation, it doesn’t have any lag and is intuitive. There are also touch buttons on the steering wheel to browse through the media player and change the digital instrument cluster settings.

Mercedes has crafted five air vents inspired by a jet turbine. They look exquisite, to say the least. The A-Class Limousine is equipped with class-leading features like the smart artificial intelligence voice command or as the manufacturer calls it MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience). The AI is as receptive as Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant and it understands the Indian accent. With a simple command like ‘Hey Mercedes! I’m feeling hot, it will change the cabin temperature according to your comfort level. It also comes with connected-car technology, which is integrated into both Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home and allows you to unlock the door or switch on the air conditioner from the comforts of your home. Apart from this, it comes with the usual features like a sunroof, wireless phone charger, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 64 ambient light options, 2 zone climate control and five USB Type-C ports.

There’s a very good chance that an A-Class sedan owner might end up spending a lot of time behind the wheel rather than being chauffeured around. Keeping that in mind, the front seats are electrically adjustable and come with a memory function allowing you to save your seating position. The seats offer good lumbar support and are comfortable, especially on long drives. With 2,729mm of the wheelbase, the A-Class Limousine is the longest sedan in its segment, and this translates into a spacious cabin, especially for the rear passengers. The angular position of the backrest provides good support though the seat squab lacks under-thigh support. The Achilles heel in this segment has been the legroom for rear passengers, but Mercedes-Benz has managed to iron out this problem as there’s plenty of it. As a matter of fact, the cabin also has a roomy headroom. It’s safe enough to say that the A-Class sedan’s cabin is a comfortable place to be in.

Engine

The A-Class Limousine gets a 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol motor under the hood. The engine’s capacity might not wow you, but it churns out 161bhp and 250Nm of torque. It does 0-100 km in 8.3 seconds, which is fast. According to ARAI, the A-Class sedan returns a fuel economy of 17.5kmpl, making it the best in its class. This front-wheel-drive car is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Step on the gas, and the car responds in a linear manner. However, the turbo lag can be felt; the best way to negate that is to downshift with paddle shifters’ help on the back of the steering wheel. For tackling bumper-to-bumper traffic, automatic transmission’s ensures spot-on gear shift ensuring there’s ample power available. It comes in four driving modes — Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual. Eco, as the name suggests, is all about getting the best fuel economy. While Comfort balances power, comfort and mileage. Sport, on the other hand, is where the engine is more responsive, the rev needle holds on a bit longer and goes past the 6,000 rpm mark, the steering wheel becomes a bit heavier for better stability at high speeds, and even the suspension is firm for better handling. Also, on this mode, the turbo lag reduces significantly. The ‘Individual’ mode enables you to customise it according to your preference. The engine is fairly refined and offers optimal performance in the mid-range power band.

Signing Off

The A-Class Limousine does manage to tick a lot of boxes like styling, practicality, performance and technology. The ride quality is ideal for Indian road conditions as it carpets, ditches and potholes easily thanks to a soft suspension set up. It isn’t meant for attacking corners or taking high speed turns, but it remains stable, although the body roll can be felt. Another feather in Mercedes-Benz’s cap is that the A-Class sedan comes with the country’s first-ever eight-year warranty with unlimited kilometres. If you are looking to enter the luxury segment, then the A-Class Limousine is a car you can bank on. It will take on the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and the upcoming Audi A3. (MT)

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Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has further expanded its product portfolio with the launch of the Victoris SUV.

The Victoris is being made available in multiple powertrain options, including petrol with strong hybrid, Allgrip Select (4x4) and factory-fitted S-CNG with an underbody tank design. Bookings are now open at INR 11,000.

The SUV can be had with a 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain with EV mode and e-CVT transmission, a multi-terrain 4x4 system with four drive modes and a CNG variant with dual ECUs.

The Victoris will join the Brezza, Ertiga, Fronx, Grand Vitara and Jimny to further expand its play in the SUV segment.

The new SUV features a 26.03 cm fully digital instrument cluster, 25.65 cm SmartPlay Pro X infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air updates and Alexa Auto integration. It also introduces a segment-first Infinity by Harman 8-speaker system with Dolby Atmos, 64-colour ambient lighting, ventilated seats, powered driver’s seat, wireless charging with cooling and a panoramic sunroof.

On safety, the Victoris comes with six airbags as standard, Level 2 ADAS with more than ten driver-assist features, all-wheel disc brakes, electronic parking brake, and a 360-degree camera. In fact, the Victoris has scored a 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating for both adult and child occupants.

It comes with Maruti Suzuki India’s Arena Safety Shield, including ESP, ABS with EBD, hill hold control and a standard three-year/100,000 km warranty.

Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The new-age Indian customer is well-travelled, hyper-connected, socially aware, technologically progressive and environmentally responsible. To meet the aspirations of such customers, our new SUV the Victoris has ‘Got It All’. Victoris is a Latin word that means ‘victory’. We are confident the Victoris with its high technology, sleek design, intelligent and connected features, 5-star level safety and multiple environment friendly powertrains will win hearts in India. With Victoris we are strengthening our SUV portfolio and our overall market share.”

Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “At Maruti Suzuki, we are always listening to our customers. Today’s young, and dynamic audience consider an automobile as a reflection of who they are – energetic, composed, confident and always moving forward. We gave this brief to our design and engineering teams for the all-new ‘Victoris’. SUVs may be the most loved segment today, but the SUV buyer has evolved. This new generation of young customers are ambitious, hyperconnected and value experiential living. The all-new Victoris is our answer to that shift - a progressive blend of tech, design and versatility. It is engineered with true SUV DNA and sets a new benchmark for what today’s automobiles can feel like. With the Victoris, we’re not just launching another SUV, we’re celebrating a new dimension to driving - one that’s ‘Got It All’.” 

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In celebration of India's dreamers and their aspirations, Mercedes-Benz India has announced the launch of its comprehensive festive campaign, ‘Dream Days’. Scheduled to run from 2nd September to 31st October 2025, the initiative is designed to make the ambition of owning a Mercedes-Benz more accessible than ever through a suite of tailored ownership benefits and experiential engagements.

The 360-degree campaign focuses on creating signature luxury experiences at every customer interaction. A core component is a range of innovative financial solutions aimed at empowering new and existing customers. For its entry and core model portfolios, Mercedes-Benz is introducing financial plans featuring exceptionally low monthly instalments, attractive interest rates and minimal down payments. First-time buyers will receive additional ‘Welcome Benefits’ when trading in their current vehicle.

Further enhancing flexibility, a unique ‘Seasonal Payment Plan’ allows customers to structure their payment schedules around periods of higher cash flow, such as bonus months, alleviating the burden of uniform monthly payments. A standout ‘Key to Key’ programme for select models like the S-Class enables customers to upgrade to a new vehicle after 24 to 36 months with zero down payment, effectively allowing them to own two new Mercedes-Benz cars within a four-year period.

Complementing these ownership advantages, Mercedes-Benz is elevating its customer service with nationwide ‘Service Clinics’. During these events, trained brand engineers will travel to various locations to provide personalised vehicle diagnostics and address owner concerns directly.

The campaign will culminate in the ‘Dream Days Festival’, a first-of-its-kind event touring six key cities: Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kochi. This two-day festival will offer participants hands-on driving experiences across specially designed tracks that demonstrate the capabilities of the brand’s sedans, SUVs, electric vehicles and high-performance AMG models. Attendees can also enjoy immersive brand experiences, such as the Burmester Sound Experience, fostering a deeper connection with the Mercedes-Benz brand.

Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, "India is a nation built on dreams – from startup founders, entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, every dreamer deserves the luxury that they aspire for. This festive campaign, hence, underlines our commitment to fulfil the aspirations of our customers, offering flexible and curated financial solutions, supporting them with their purchase decision. We are confident these financial solutions will find immense value among customers, creating excitement and positive momentum in the market this festive season.”

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Hyundai Motor India (HMIL), one of the leading passenger vehicle manufacturers, has introduced the Creta King and Creta King Limited Edition to mark a decade of its popular Creta SUV in the domestic market. The company has also added new features to other Creta variants.

The Creta King includes features such as R18 diamond cut alloys, a driver power seat with memory function and a passenger seat with electric adjustments. It also comes with a dashcam, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and dual-zone automatic temperature control. The vehicle is available with a 1.5L petrol, 1.5L diesel and 1.5L turbo petrol engine. A new Black Matte colour is also being introduced.

The Creta King Limited Edition adds exclusive ‘King’ branding on elements like the seat belt cover, headrest cushion and key cover. This limited edition is available in Abyss Black, Atlas White and the new Black Matte colours.

The Creta King Knight, with its black design, also receives upgraded features including R18 matte black alloys, electric seat adjustments for the driver and passenger, a dashcam and dual-zone automatic temperature control.

Tarun Garg, Whole-Time Director and Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India, said, “At HMIL, we have always believed in delighting our customers with fresh choices and enhanced experiences. Ahead of this festive season, we are excited to introduce the Creta King and Creta King Limited Edition in our SUV, the Hyundai Creta. These additions, coupled with enriched feature offerings in the Creta line up will reinforce our commitment to offering products that blend style, performance, technology and safety. We are confident that these new introductions will add to the festive excitement and further strengthen the appeal of Hyundai’s most loved SUV among Indian customers.”

Additionally, new features have been added across other Creta variants, including a dashcam, dual-zone automatic temperature control and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. The Creta N Line also gets these new features.

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Honda Cars India has introduced a series of updates to its popular SUV, the Honda Elevate in time for the festive season. The enhancements include new interior colour options and exterior styling upgrades, aiming to give the vehicle a more premium and stylish feel.

The top-of-the-range Honda Elevate ZX grade now features a new Ivory interior theme, complete with ivory leatherette seats and soft-touch inserts on the doors and instrument panel. As an optional extra, customers can choose a new ‘Alpha-Bold plus Grille’ for a more commanding front profile, along with a 360-degree surround vision camera and 7-colour ambient lighting. With these additions, the Elevate ZX offers a choice of three distinct interior themes: Tan, Ivory and Black.

For the V and VX grades, Honda is introducing new black fabric upholstery, which replaces the previous shadow beige option. These variants also feature dual-tone interiors with ivory soft-touch inserts. The new Alpha-Bold plus Grille is available as an accessory for these models and the Crystal Black Pearl colour option is now offered across the V, VX and ZX grades.

Kunal Behl, Vice-President Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India, said, “The Honda Elevate is a very successful model and has been greatly appreciated by customers for its versatility in both the domestic and export markets. With the introduction of the new ZX grade with ivory interiors and new enhancements across all grades, it is our endeavour to offer more choices to customers during the festive period and warmly welcome them into the Honda family.”

The Honda Elevate is powered by a 1.5L i-VTEC petrol engine and is available with a choice of a 6-speed manual or 7-speed CVT automatic transmission. The SUV continues to offer a range of safety features, including the Honda Sensing advanced driver-assist system in the ZX grade, which includes Collision Mitigation Braking and Adaptive Cruise Control.

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