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A Merc is a Merc. Period. Dr Wilfred Aulbur,CEO,Mercedez Benz India won’t hear further. In fact,all roads lead to the M word.

A Merc is a Merc. Period. Dr Wilfred Aulbur,CEO,Mercedez Benz India won’t hear further. In fact,all roads lead to the M word. “For it’s the only car that truly spells style,class,comfort,safety and luxury,” he says it almost by heart.

Out with the ninth generation E-Class,Dr Aulbur says their association with India has been a long and fruitful one. “Indians have always had the money,and style too. Now they are matching products that compliments their style and status,” for him,the all-new E-Class symbolises the continuation of a success story in the luxury-class car segment. With over 10,000 customers in India,the E-Class has been one of the most popular luxury sedans in India and Dr Aulbur credits is to the brand’s core values rooted in timeless design,craftsmanship and innovation. But wait a minute,why is that we see more of C-Class in this part of the region? “The C-Class is the perfect vehicle to enter into the world of Mercedez,” he adds how the vehicle,with its agility control and responsive steering gives a lot of punch to the drive. “There are many variants to the C-Class alone because we want to give our customers the most expensive choice possible and individualism,” he talks about customised solutions. As for making Mercedez eco-friendly,Dr Aulbur points to the S400 Hybrid the fuel consumption of which is closest to that of small cars. “Fuel expenditure is not about size,but the right technology,” he refers to the new hydrogen fuelled Merc which they exhibited at Frankfurt.

The beginning of 2009 was a bit sluggish. Recession was taking its toll,and Punjab saw an influx of other luxury brands like BMW and Audi. But Dr Aulbur is not the least worried because for him,the more the competition,the better it is. “It will push us more to upgrade our technology,train and focus on innovation.” Speaking of which,they are moving aggressively into the SUV market with their M Class. “There’s a very good market out there for it,” he refuses to divulge further,just that 2010 will be a year of lots of launches,big ones only! Keep driving.

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