Small cars are becoming the in-thing and will undoubtedly rule the future as well. But it does not mean that hatchbacks are the undergoing any development or do not prevail, in fact we all know that the Indian market itself is strengthened by hatchbacks and they contribute for more than 50% of the total count.
Such cars have been adored for over 10 years but surprisingly no small car has been smart enough. Luxury is what this segment has been lacking and will lack in the future also, if not worked upon. But now there is something very interesting going on in Mercedes-Benz’s R&D centers.
If you have not guessed it then we shall tell you that soon Merc will also step into this very segment with a car purely based on Mercedes-Benz Smart. This compact car may not be competitive enough with Maruti Alto or Chevrolet Beat but will have its own charm and attraction.
For the time being nothing more has been disclosed about this plan except for a very significant thing which is that Renault and Nissan will be joining hands with this German major and will provide technical assistance in order to modify the car, making it suit the Indian conditions.
Recently in an interview, Mercedes Benz India Managing Director & CEO Peter Honegg said “Though our company doesn’t currently sell anything below the C-class sedan, priced at Rs 28.44 lakh, we will definitely look at the compact car market” He added, “We are thinking in that direction. Definitely, (the Smart) is a very interesting product. The compact car segment is very competitive. It’s far below all our Mercedes models, and is a segment we haven’t touched, but which most of the competitors are very serious about in India,”
Repeating what we have mentioned above, the pricing is yet to be figured out to suit the pockets of Indian customers along with the element of luxury but as it has to compete against the existing small cars then its cost will have to fall in between Rs.4 to Rs.8 Lakh.
