MERCEDES-BENZ | EBERHARD KERN TAKES CHARGE AS MD & CEO

autotechreview 11February 2013 Volume 2 | Issue 2

Tata Motors launched the new Vista D90, a

premium hatchback aimed at buyers looking for a

feature-rich and sporty vehicle between 5.99

lakh and 6.83 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi.

While the engine is the same old 1.3 l Quadra-

jet diesel unit, Tata Motors claims to have tuned it

to deliver more power. Coupled with a specially-

tuned variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT), the

Vista D90 develops 88.7 hp of power, along with a

torque of 200 Nm. Claimed fuel-efficiency is

21.12 km/l, making it one of the most fuel-effi-

cient cars in its segment.

At a time when the world is moving towards

lightweighting, the company has decided to take

a different route. We were told that the D90 has

about 150 kg extra steel in its frame for enhanced

safety. We buy the safety point completely but one

needs to consider that the performance and effi-

ciency could’ve been significantly better if the car

was any lighter.

Other new features

include a touch screen

infotainment system

with GPS, multi infor-

mation display, elec-

tric ORVMs and intelli-

gent rear wiper.

Another key change is

that the instrument

cluster has moved

from the central posi-

tion to the usual spot

behind the steering

wheel. The Vista D90

is available in two variants – VX and ZX+ and

comes with a two years/ 75,000 km warranty.

Swedish manufacturer of heavy trucks and

buses, Scania recently launched the ‘Scania

Metrolink’, a purpose-designed coach for luxury

inter-city or charter travel. India, in fact, is the

first market worldwide to enjoy the benefits of the

Scania Metrolink, said Anders Grundströmer,

Managing Director Scania Commercial Vehicle

India and Senior Vice President Scania Group.

The Scania Metrolink is based on a system of

chassis modules and modular bodywork, and is

offered in two and three-axle form in the Indian

market. Offered in three models, the Scania

Metrolink features the established Scania ‘wrap-

ping T’ styling motif that sweeps from the front

into the window line along the sides. First deliv-

eries to customers will take place in mid-2013

and assembly of complete coaches will start at

Scania’s new facility in Bangalore in early 2014.

TATA MOTORS | VISTA D90 LAUNCHED

SCANIA INDIA | NEW BUS, COACH RANGE LAUNCHED

Mercedes-Benz India Ltd (MBIL) introduced Eber-

hard Kern, its new Managing Director & CEO to

the Indian media at the inauguration of India’s

largest luxury car showroom in New Delhi,

through its dealership franchise T&T Motors. The

showroom, spread across an area exceeding

60,000 sq ft across four floors, has been built

with an investment of 70 cr. Interestingly, the

facility has an entire floor dedicated to the AMG

model line-up, a first for India.

During a round-table interaction, Kern ad-

mitted that the company lost traction to its com-

petitors in the past few years, mainly due to an

undergoing product overhaul. He added that the

company continues to perform strongly in the

segments it is present. The missing link in the

product portfolio for the company is its absence

in the segment, where rival companies have

placed the Q3 and X1.

The company, however, seems upbeat about

the future as they have an action-packed 2013

from a new product launch perspective. Within

the next few months, the company will launch

the diesel B-Class, A-Class, new E-Class and

the CLA. These products are expected to help

Mercedes-Benz India achieve a significant

volume increase. The

key platform for the

company in India will

be the Modular Front

Architecture (MFA),

which will underpin

the B, A and CLA-

Class. These relatively

inexpensive cars with

a new design lan-

guage are what the

company is betting on

for creation of

younger and new cus-

tomers.

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