Mercedes launches showcase for buyers at Indian plant

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz India calls 2013 its 'year of offensive' and as part of this, it has launched several new products, spread its network of dealerships and service stations, organised financial programmes and offered several after-sales benefits. Now as part of its year-end endeavour, it has launched a Centre of Excellence at its Chakan production facility in Tamil Nadu, reports CNBC-TV18.

Mercedes-Benz India intends to create an exclusive luxury experience for prospective customers at its 'Centre of Excellence' facility, an exclusive facility that showcases the top of the range Mercedes-Benz and AMG cars. It also features a dedicated helipad that will be used by exclusive customers who want to fly in and fly out after buying a new car.

Customers will also get to personalise their cars using the 'iConfigurator' which empowers customers to preview the entire car portfolio digitally and experience the look and feel of the exterior paints, upholstery and alloy wheels. The centre was inaugurated by Eberhard Kern, managing director and chief executive, Mercedes-Benz India and Matthias Luehrs, chairman of the board of management, Mercedes-Benz India.

Kern said, ''The Centre of Excellence is an exhibition of all the Mercedes-Benz dream cars at one place. Our customers coming here by any way, by road, by train, by aircraft or even by helicopter, have the chance to see the complete dream car portfolio of Mercedes-Benz. You can experience all those dream cars here and you can test drive.''

Luehrs added, ''We have a lot of customer experience centres around the world. Traditionally in Sindelfingen, our mother plant in Germany, the Maybach Center of Excellence as we used to call it was probably the first one, but for India it is the first of its kind, for the entire automotive industry in India.''