For Mercedes-Benz the end goal is electric
Merc India MD and CEO and members of the Product Team in Germany tell us about the powertrain options that India will likely get in the GLC
Come October, bookings will open for the new Mercedes-Benz GLC Class with the vehicle itself slated for a year-end launch. As mentioned in our earlier story, the GLC that will come to India will not be the long wheelbase version, but the standard wheelbase. Which is plenty, even when compared to LWB versions of competing products, said Merc. But that’s not all they said. Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India along with members of the Mercedes-Benz technical team in Germany, talked us through the details of the powertrain options that the Mercedes-Benz GLC will get in India when it’s launched.
“The end goal is electric. The question is by what time. We have always maintained that we are powertrain agnostic but if you look at the final outcome, electric is right there,” he said. Of course, this is qualified by how the government reacts or acts to things. Different states have different norms and it all coagulates and has an impact on demand. “For example, Delhi has a new rule where if your vehicle is worth more than 30 lakh then you pay more road tax.” For now, things are skewed against the EV. “The GLC costs ₹76 lakhs. Now the EV is certainly going to cost more. So that will affect the demand. But I’m sure that as things move forward and infrastructure improves, things will change.” On the infrastructure front however, the fully electric GLC is well covered with its 715km WLTP range. It’s not short on performance either, with its 300kW motor capable of churning out 800Nm and pushing the new electric GLC from 0-100kmph in 4.3 seconds.
The big question we asked was ‘Is this not overkill?’ Merc disagrees. What is coming to India is the fully electric GLC 400 4MATIC, which will be locally manufactured, with rear axle steering. But with AMG Line packaging because Mercedes says that content is important for Indian customers and they’d rather offer a fully equipped vehicle than something that has the potential to dilute the Merc brand promise. Besides the GLC customer is a person who enjoys driving, says Merc’s data. There may be a driver in the mix to take care of sticky issues like parking and traffic but the owner definitely enjoys driving.
“We have not compromised even on a GLA formatting. If I look at the entry segment portfolio where you guys keep challenging us always, we have neither three-cylinder engines nor smaller ones. So, we have given the full package. You know, morning I said welcome home, and welcome home is not a feeling of a place or a city. It's a feeling of a Mercedes Benz and our customers,” Iyer said.
The fact that Merc is currently bringing only a single variant will also help the brand keep things focused and manage complexity of orders. The electric GLC will also add to the volume for Mercedes.
“I won't deny the fact that there may be some cannibalisation of current GLC customers who may buy but the price point of the new GLC 400 will be higher than the combustion engine one. So, they will operate in different price points and at the same time we expect to grow the market,” he explained.
