Following in BMW’s footsteps is its German rival Mercedes-Benz, which has come out with a stripped-down version of its C-class saloon, the C220 CDI Executive Edition. Slated to be the entry-level model, the Executive Edition will retail at Rs 27.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

However, in contrast to the BMW 3-Series Corporate Edition, which is also available for individual buyers, the stripped down Merc will be available only to fleet customers, like hotels or corporate companies.

Unlike the C220 CDI Elegance, this one has no sliding sunroof, bi-Xenon headlamps, electrically foldable mirrors and CD changer - only a single CD player is available. Also, the Executive Edition has burr-walnut wood trim instead of the eucalyptus wood trim in the Elegance. It gets art leather seats in place of pure leather, Parktronic (parking sensors) are missing, and the 16-inch alloy wheels are now seven-spoke instead of the Elegance’s 12-spoke design.

These are small concessions to make since the Executive Edition is Rs 7 lakh cheaper than the Elegance and is incredible value for money. Now we just hope that Mercedes-Benz, like BMW, makes the Executive Edition available to individual buyers as well.