Mercedes CLA, GLA petrol now locally produced

Mercedes-Benz India today announced plans to locally assemble the CLA sedan (petrol and diesel) as well as the petrol GLA SUV at the company's Chakan plant. The former will become the company’s seventh model to be locally assembled after the C-class, the E-class, the S-class, the M-class, GL-class and the GLA-class.

The CLA’s prices now start at Rs 30.70 lakh as against Rs 31.50 lakh earlier for the CBU model. The locally produced petrol GLA 200 Sport is now priced at Rs 33.90 lakh as against Rs 36 lakh earlier. All prices are as per ex-showroom, Delhi.

The move is aimed at catering to the increasing demand of the sedan, especially ahead of the upcoming festive season, and also to cut down the waiting period, according to the carmaker. Moreover, India is the only country outside Europe to commence local production of the CLA sedan.

Earlier this year, the German carmaker has added a new production line at its Chakan plant in Pune to double its annual capacity to 20,000 units, up from 10,000 units earlier. Simultaneously, it announced plans to assemble the diesel GLA SUV as well.

 “We are extremely satisfied with our CLA strategy, which has contributed majorly to our New Generation Cars growth and redefined the segment completely. We are confident that the local production will make the CLA even more attractive for the discerning buyers with additional value propositions and increased availability,” said Eberhard Kern, managing director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India.

The local assembly of the CLA is in line with the carmaker’s strategy to locally produce the New Generation Cars, or the cars based on the front-wheel drive MFA architecture such as the A-class, B-class, the GLA and the CLA in its global assembly network along with sedans and SUVs.

Apart from the India plant, Mercedes-Benz has plants in Thailand, Vietnam, Malayasia, Indonesia, and will include Brazil in 2016.

Prices of the locally assembled CLA and GLA petrol

CLA 200 CDI Style: Rs 30.70 lakh

CLA 200 CDI Sport: Rs 33.90 lakh

CLA 200 Sport (petrol): Rs 32.90 lakh

GLA 200 Sport (petrol): Rs 33.90 lakh

(All prices ex-showroom, Delhi)

NISHANT PAREKH