New Delhi: German luxury brand Mercedes-Benz on Thursday launched an updated version of its armoured vehicle ‘S 600 Guard’ in India with starting price at Rs 8.9 crore (ex-showroom Delhi).
The vehicle, which is certified for the highest ballistics protection class, would be aimed at high profile customers, including high ranking officials and industrialists.
“With the launch of the new S 600 Guard, Mercedes-Benz India now provides a formidable range of special protection vehicles comprising the E-Guard and M-Guard, for the Indian market,” Mercedes-Benz India, Managing Director and CEO, Eberhard Kern said.
The company said it has already secured a number of pre-orders for the new S 600 Guard.
Markus Rubenbauer, Head Guard Sales, said the S 600 Guard offers highest protection characteristics.
“This is the first vehicle in Germany to be offered with the highest class of ballistic protection (VR9), which can withstand rifle fire from military weapons and protection from grenades and explosive charges,” he added.
The S 600 Guard comes with airmatic suspension, intelligent driver assistance systems and fire extinguisher system with automatic activation.
Just so you know, with its Guard models, Mercedes-Benz has the world’s widest range of special protection vehicles. The Mercedes-Benz Guard range currently has models from the S, E, M and G-Class, globally.
Mercedes also sells the E-Class and ML-Class in Guard form but those cars offer lower levels of protection (VR4 and VR6 which can withstand assault from a large caliber revolver and larger guns respectively).
The S on the other hand has a protection level of VR9 which can handle attacks from assault rifles, grenades, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and even a single hit from a sniper rifle. In fact, the car is the first and only manufacturer assembled luxury vehicle to achieve VR9 level of protection.
Protection comes through super thick doors and mirrors as well as fire and security alarm systems. The tyres are a special kind of run-flat which can be driven for around for 80km even after they are deflated. These cars undergo lots of tests.
The S 600 Guard is powered by a V12 petrol engine that generates 530bhp and 830Nm of torque; it is mated to the 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission.
Available both as a 4-seater and as a fully-fledged 5-seater, its interior offers exemplary headroom and elbow room in the rear, a 350-litre boot capacity and high payload.
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Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard features:
1. Chauffeur position for the front passenger seat
2. Easy adjust luxury head restraints for the driver and front passenger, folding and removable on the front passenger side
3. Footrests electrically extendable on the front passenger side
4. The executive seat in the rear on the front passenger side has a leg rest
5. The Rear Seat Comfort package includes multi contour outer rear seats, seat heating Plus and also the energising massage function
6. Optionally available First-Class rear suite with a continuous Business console transforms the rear into a mobile office with two individual seats.
7. Michelin PAX run-flat tyres with an additional tyre pressure monitoring system allows an escape from the danger zone up to a distance of 30 km even with damaged tyres
8. Night View Assist plus LED intelligent light system
9. Easily operated panic alarm system, fire extinguisher system with automatic activation, and emergency fresh air system
(With inputs from PTI)