Daimler to enter India with SMART

Auto biggies from around the globe have established units and offices in the country to utilise the growing demand in the auto sector here. Daimler the British Motor enthusiast is another one speculated to enter the Indian auto market which growing leaps and bounds. Daimler the luxury auto maker is into manufacturing of the well established car brands such as Maybach and Mercedes Benz.

Daimler has positioned itself as the 2nd biggest truck maker and 13th biggest auto mobile manufacturer. The auto giant manufacturers brand of small cars known as SMART which has a capacity to accommodate 2 passengers. However, Dailmer is well aware of the Indian auto buyers criteria so it has planned to come with a four seater SMART car for the Indian auto industry.

It is rumored that SMART will come with a price tag of Rs 4 to 5 lakh. As per Mr Peter Honegg, Managing Director- Mercedes India, the auto giant is planning in this direction. SMART is a vital car model and the compact car segment is quite competitive. Mercedes are two very different projects the company handles but in India there lies a big competition in the particular segment. Also the company has to market the car well as in India, it is not a popular brand. He also added that SMART needs to be manufactured as per the Indian standards due to various climate as well as road conditions. The car prototype is there in their mind but still needs a lot of work. He also made a valid point as he said that it cannot be developed as a CKD which will increase the price of teh car. So it needs to be developed in India. However, this is not much of a problem as Mercedes uses only 60 per cent of Chakan plant. The company can also talk with Renault-Nissan to develop the small car at Oragadam if required.

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