The advance of electric cars constitutes the biggest change in the history of the automobile. For the first time in over a century, cars move without a petrol or diesel engine in the engine bay and have a battery in the floor, changing the car at its core.

With the introduction of the forthcoming fully electric Volvo XC40 SUV next month, Volvo Cars is not just launching its first fully electric car – in true Volvo tradition, it is also introducing one of the safest cars on the road, despite a fresh set of challenges presented by the absence of an internal combustion engine.

“Regardless of what drives a car forward, be it an electric machine or combustion engine, a Volvo must be safe,” says Malin Ekholm, Head of Safety at Volvo Cars. “The fully electric XC40 will be one of the safest cars we have ever built.”

While building on the excellent safety standards of the original XC40, Volvo Cars safety engineers had to completely redesign and reinforce the frontal structure to deal with the absence of an engine, meet Volvo Cars’ high safety requirements and help keep occupants as safe as in any other Volvo.

“The fundamentals around safety are the same for this car as for any other Volvo. People are inside, and the car needs to be designed to be safe for them,” says Malin Ekholm.

To help keep passengers safe and the battery intact in the event of a collision, Volvo Cars also developed a new and unique safety structure for passengers and battery alike in the XC40. The battery is protected by a safety cage which consists of a frame of extruded aluminum and has been embedded in the middle of the car’s body structure, creating a built-in crumple zone around the battery.

The battery’s placement in the floor of the car also has the benefit of lowering the center of gravity of the car, for better protection against roll-overs.

Meanwhile, the car’s body structure has not just been reinforced in the front, but also at the rear. Here, the electric powertrain has been integrated in the body structure to realise a better distribution of collision forces away from the cabin and reduce the strain on people inside the car.

In terms of active safety systems, the battery-powered XC40 also introduces new technology. It is the first Volvo model equipped with a new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensor platform with software developed by Zenuity, the joint venture company owned by Volvo Cars and Veoneer.

The new ADAS platform is a modern, scalable active safety system that consists of an array of radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors. Because of its scalable nature it can easily be developed further and lays the foundation for the future introduction of autonomous drive technology.

Volvo Cars will reveal more details about the fully electric XC40 in the coming weeks, before it will be first shown to the public on October 16.

Sohinder Gill, CEO, Hero Electric India

Hero Electric has launched its new electric scooter – The Dash, with prices starting at Rs 62,000 further expanding its portfolio of easy to use and maintain e-scooters. The brand also showcased the Extended Range variants of the Optima and Nyx widening its range of e-scooters in India. The Optima ER and Nyx ER are now available across all Hero Electric dealerships for Rs 68,721 and Rs 69,754 respectively.

Commenting on the occasion Sohinder Gill, CEO, Hero Electric India said, “Hero Electric is determined to deliver the best of electric two-wheeler mobility options to eco-conscious customers who prefer smarter mobility solutions. The all-new Dash is our latest and most lucrative offering that offers style, practicality, performance with a powerful Li-Ion battery that is portable and reliable, and I am certain this will appeal to people of all age groups. As always, we will continue to bring in new and better products and are always listening to customer feedback.”

The Dash is powered by a 48v, 28 Ah Li-Ion battery with fast-charging of four hours and a range of 60 km per charge. Keeping in mind the Indian driving conditions, the Dash is made for India with a high ground clearance of 145 mm to tackle Indian road conditions. The Dash comes  equipped with features such as with LED DRL’s, LED headlights, digital instrument cluster, USB mobile charging port, tubeless tyres, dual tone body colour and
graphics, remote boot opening keeping the practicality quotient high. The Dash also gets a very striking design with a commanding front fascia that gives the Dash a string road presence, with the dual tone colour options sprucing up the looks of the Dash even more.

As a testament to its commitment to cater to the range anxiety associated with the purchase of e-scooters, Hero Electric also showcased its latest extended range offerings, Optima ER and Nyx ER during the event. Both the Optima ER and Nyx ER come equipped with dual Li-Ion battery with a total range of 110 kms and 100 kms per charge respectively.

Hero Electric is making strides in product development with products that go beyond the customer’s expectations in terms of usability, features and cost effectiveness. Heavy daily travelers using ICE bikes and scooters today can save more than Rs 1,00,000 in 2 years by switching to the any e-scooter from the Hero Electric ER range.

With Nyx ER already introduced in the market, the company has extensive plans to introduce heavy duty products catering to the myriad requirements of the B2B sector thereby expanding its offerings for the commercial segment. Hero electric products are best suited for commercial usage as they require lesser investment and have zero carbon emissions.

In sync with the government’s vision to promote and foster the adoption of electric mobility in India, Hero Electric aims to invest in R&D to introduce technologically advanced products that India needs in order to make the switch from ICE vehicles. Going forward, all high-speed products from Hero Electric will also be eligible for FAME II benefits and coupled with the lowered GST rates on batteries and chargers, products from Hero Electric will only get more attractive and affordable.

Hero Electric scooters are the perfect match for people who want to switch to clean mobility, with options ranging from lightweight to high-speed performance scooters, so both the first-time buyers and enthusiasts have a variety of scooters to choose from. These electric scooters do not need a pollution certificate as they have zero pollution and some of the scooters do not need even the RC or the driving licenses.The e-scooters from the company are gender agnostic with designs that can blend into anyone’s lifestyle and offer last-mile connectivity at minimal cost and zero emissions. Hero Electric will continue to innovate in this space and lead electric mobility in the country.

Hero Electric plans to take the 615 touchpoints presently to 1000 by end of 2020 and make the brand accessible even in the most interior parts of the country. The company has aggressive investment plans in the next three years to ramp up production capacity of its electric scooters to 5 lakh units annually.

With DBX’s unveil drawing closer, Aston Martin’s first SUV has entered the closing stages of the most comprehensive test regime of any Aston Martin and today, the luxury British marque can confirm the beating heart of the most versatile product in its illustrious history.

With extensive everyday real-world driving and high-performance track evaluation taking place at locations worldwide – including the brand’s two key engineering centres at Silverstone, UK and the Nürburgring, Germany – Chief Engineer Matt Becker’s team have focussed their development work to ensure the broad dynamic capability required of DBX.

While conducting durability testing at the demanding Nürburgring race circuit, DBX has delivered cornering speeds on par with the brand’s most focussed sportscar Vantage, while achieving braking figures greater than the marque’s Super GT, DBS Superleggera. This brutal combination of performance for an SUV has already seen Aston Martin’s engineering team regularly achieve sub 8-minute Nordschleife lap times during their regular testing regime.

DBX will feature a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, tuned to deliver the exhilaration of a modern GT. While recognisable from its application in the brand’s existing Vantage and DB11 sportscars, DBX’s V8 engine surpasses the performance credentials of these V8-powered models delivering 550 PS and 700 Nm of torque.

High speed testing has already proven DBX to repeatedly exceed 180 mph, with final top speed and acceleration figures being set within the closing stages of the testing process.

DBX’s vocal chorus has also been honed by the brand’s dedicated acoustic team. With a focus on creating a broader, more solid acoustic note, DBX’s exhaust system has been tuned to reflect a deep bass with increasing mid-tones, creating true auditory exhilaration, particularly in more sporting drive modes.

DBX’s testing programme continues apace, with Matt Becker, Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer commenting: “We have concentrated our work to ensure that the calibration and tune of this 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 delivers both the everyday usability and refinement expected by SUV owners. However, we have also focused heavily on matching that with the engaging driving dynamics that are commanded by our brand and inherent in every Aston Martin and early indications of the car’s overall performance have been incredibly promising.

The next few months will be extremely important to us, as we continue to hone the powertrain credentials and a dynamic setup that will help make this the most exciting SUV on the market”.

DBX is set to be unveiled this December.

Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd unveiled the tyre.

Apollo Tyres today introduced the all-terrain tyres, Apollo Apterra AT2, for the SUV enthusiasts. This all-terrain tyre complements Apollo’s existing Apterra range including specialised Highway Luxury (HL), Highway Terrain (HT), High Performance (HP) and the All Terrain (AT) tyres for the SUVs.

Designed and developed as a collaborative effort between the two Global R&D Centres — in Enschede, the Netherlands and in Chennai, India — and a cross-functional team comprising members from R&D, Manufacturing, Service, Business Quality and Marketing, Apterra AT2 will be produced at the company’s Vadodara unit in Gujarat. With traction and durability, this tyre has been thoroughly tested in the toughest of conditions in South Africa before being introduced in India.

The company is looking at catering to the all-terrain market of approximately 15,000 tyres/month in India, and is introducing 8 sizes in phase 1, which are targeted towards vehicle like Endeavour, Fortuner, Pajero, Force One, Scorpio, XUV 500, Hexa and others. Another 6 sizes of Apollo Apterra AT2 would be launched in phase II, and together, the range will cover over 90 per cent of the all-terrain vehicle market.

Commenting on the launch, Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd said “We are sharpening our focus on the SUV segment in India, with specialised tyres for different terrains, as this vehicle segment is growing faster than passenger cars. The excellent test results, and the global efforts that have gone into developing the Apollo Apterra AT2, gives us the confidence that this tyre will set a new benchmark in the all-terrain tyre space, and will further propel our leadership in the SUV segment.”

Equipped to handle obstacles both on-road and off-road, the Apollo Apterra AT2 is designed to tackle all terrains. It has a patented tread design with 3D interlocking sipes, tread with DPF technology and the shoulder design with SAW-Tooth technology, which provides a higher level of traction. Triplex casing and high tensile steel belts makes the tyre highly durable and impact resistant. The herringbone grooves of the tyre ensure efficient water drainage on wet roads and provide better control during off-roading. The wider tread width provides stability during cornering.

Apollo Tyres has also curated #BadRoadBuddies, a community for budding and existing off-roaders to come together and discover the unexplored beauty that beholds in this vast terrain that is India. The people who belong to this community are the ones who go the distance to make it through some of the harshest roads in the country to get breathtaking views and lifetime worth of experiences.

TVS Motor Company today announced the launch of ‘Commuter of the Year’ celebratory special edition of TVS Radeon. The special edition comes in two colours Chrome-Black and Chrome-Brown.

The edition, with its chrome accent, gives a bold new elegant look to TVS Radeon. It comes with range of features such front disc brake, new robust thigh pad design, new petrol tank cushion with emblematic ‘R’, new metallic levels, chrome rear view mirrors and chrome carburetor cover. The refreshed graphics further accentuate its stylish look.

A unique blend of sturdy metal build, robust style and plush comfort, TVS Radeon is targeted at the discerning progressive middle India millennials. Launched in August 2018, TVS Radeon has upped the choice for everyday commuters and boasts of a customer base of over 2 lakh customers.

Commenting on the launch, Aniruddha Haldar, Vice President (Marketing) – Commuter Motorcycles, Scooters & Corporate Brand, TVS Motor Company, said, “TVS Radeon has generated unprecedented love from experts and consumers alike. Within its first year of launch over 2 lakh proud consumers are overjoyed with their Buland choice. The trust and love of such consumers only reaffirms our commitment to them. TVS Radeon, having won the appreciation of experts, became the most awarded motorcycle of the year. The special edition stays true to the TVS Radeon Buland DNA and celebrates its spirit. It adds comfort and premium distinctiveness with an unwavering eye on practicality, I am sure TVS Radeon and its consumers will continue to live true to its promise of Live Strong Ride Strong (JIYO BULAND BADHO BULAND).”

TVS Radeon is powered by a 109.7cc Dura-Life engine, which is aims to offer a combination of power and fuel economy. The motorcycle churns out 8.4 PS of power at 7000 rpm with a torque of 8.7 Nm at 5000 rpm. TVS Radeon is equipped with a 10-litre tank and delivers an ARAI-ratified fuel economy of 69.3 kmpl.

TVS Radeon ‘Commuter of the Year’ celebratory special edition comes in both Disc and Drum variants and is priced at:

Drum: Rs. 52,720 (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Disc: Rs. 54,820 (Ex-showroom Delhi)

Maruti Suzuki India Limited announced that it has received enthusiastic response, from its customers, for the BS6 range of vehicles. The BS6 models offered by the Company currently constitute around 70% of the total petrol vehicles sold.  Continuing with its commitment to launch environment friendly vehicles, Maruti Suzuki introduced its first BS6 compliant petrol car, a Baleno in April 2019. This was followed by launch of BS6 compliant petrol variants of Alto 800, WagonR (1.2 L), Swift, Dzire and Ertiga much before the government stipulated date of implementation of the regulations. The recently launched XL6, Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) is also BS6 compliant. All these vehicles are amongst the top selling models in the industry.

Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “As a responsible and environment conscious brand, Maruti Suzuki is aligned with Government of India’s vision to introduce BS6 compliant vehicles before April 2020. Seven of our top selling models are BS6 compliant much before the deadline. We are committed to progressively upgrade our entire range of petrol cars to BS6 technology before stipulated timelines. The BS6 vehicles use Suzuki’s proven technology that helps to substantially reduce the emissions thus contributing to a cleaner and greener environment.”

He added, “We extend our gratitude to our customers who are early adopters of environment friendly BS6 technology in our vehicles.”

The BS6 compliant petrol vehicles will lead to a substantial reduction of nearly 25 per cent in Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions. The BS6 compliant petrol vehicles can run on BS4 petrol also. The BS6 petrol cars from Maruti Suzuki have been extensively tested with BS4 fuel and there is no operational concern.

Volkswagen presented the pioneering ID.3 on the evening before the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt. This vehicle is the symbol of a new era for the brand. The ID.3 extends the Volkswagen offering as the first model of a completely new generation of pure electric vehicles – featuring zero local emissions, outstanding efficiency, and full connectivity. At the same time, the ID.3 reflects the realignment of the Volkswagen brand, and is also the first model with the new Volkswagen logo.

“The ID.3 is an all-rounder that is suitable for everyday use. It is compact, as such offering the manoeuvrability of a small car with the interior space of a mid-range vehicle. It combines exciting design with innovative technology and significant range,” outlines Silke Bagschik, Head of Sales and Marketing for the ID. family, on the evening before the IAA.

The ID.3 from Volkswagen opens a new era of climate-friendly mobility. This first model from the ID. series features carbon-neutrality, the impressive driving dynamics that are characteristic of electric cars, and full connectivity. Like all future ID. models, the ID.3 is based on the new modular electric drive matrix (MEB), which has been designed for an electric drive system without compromise.

The ID.3 flaunts the newly developed design DNA that makes it immediately identifiable as a zero emission vehicle. Designed for an electrifying future, it brings a new level of design quality to the compact vehicle category. “With the ID.3, Volkswagen is heading towards the future,” explains Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design of the Volkswagen brand, going on to emphasise: “The natural style and absolutely intuitive driver experience demonstrate a new, electric way of thinking.”

The interior is also revolutionary. The long wheelbase of the MEB layout, combined with very short overhangs, results in an expansive vehicle interior: the Open Space. With the room and spaciousness this creates, the five-seater ID.3 sets new standards in the compact class.

Digital, entirely newly designed display elements and controls ensure that every driver will intuitively find their way in the ID.3. Apart from the display in the cockpit, a newly developed, centrally positioned, ten-inch touch display provides drivers with all key information.

The ID. light, which is also new, supports drivers with an LED strip during navigation and can, for instance, prompt them to brake in the event of any dangers. All controls – including those on the electrically adjustable multifunction steering wheel – are operated using touch functions featuring touch-sensitive buttons. Only the electric windows and hazard warning lights are still operated using tactile switches. This is supplemented by intelligent natural voice control. Thanks to App Connect, the ID.3 can be connected with your smartphone within seconds.

At series production launch, the ID.3 will be available with three battery size options. The basic variant has a usable energy content of 45 kWh and enables an electrically powered range of up to 330 kilometres. Alongside this is a battery variant with 58 kW, which enables the ID.3 to achieve a range of up to 420 km. The energy content of the largest battery is 77 kWh, and its electric range is up to 550 kilometres. Thanks to its fast charging capability, it is possible to charge the ID.3 sufficiently for a range of around 290 kilometres within 30 minutes, using a charging output of 100 kW.

The batteries themselves are integrated into the underbody. This positioning has a positive effect on driving dynamics, as it moves the centre of gravity in the ID.3 significantly lower. The ID.3 is also characterised by optimum weight distribution between front axle and rear axle.

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India had unveiled ‘Luxe Drive Live 2019’, in Kolkata.

The fifth edition of this unique experiential drive camp was based on three exciting pillars — Adrenaline, Gourmet and Music — and offered a holistic brand experience. The fun-filled evening provided both existing and potential customers an opportunity to test-drive a range of Mercedes-Benz cars, enjoy live musical performances with MTV, and savour the culinary delights of celebrity chef Ranveer Brar.

Martin Schwenk, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “We see immense potential in the east and Kolkata is one of the key hubs to drive growth across the region. It gives me immense pleasure to reach out to our customers and prospects in these cities through this medium. We recently conducted a Luxe Drive Live event in Guwahati and inaugurated a new dealership in Cuttack. As we celebrate 25 years in India with our brand motto ‘Best Never Rest’, we bring a lot of excitement to our unique experiential programme, Luxe Drive Live 2019. As part of the celebrations, 25 special attendees will have an opportunity to win Mercedes-Benz merchandise in a special contest at the venue. The fifth edition of Luxe Drive Live in India, with Adrenaline, Gourmet and Music as the key pillars, will help us strengthen our brand reach and provide our customers with an immersive experience.”

The three pillars of experience are:

Adrenaline: Adrenaline is designed to give a holistic product and brand experience to our prospective customers. With this key principle, Luxe Drive Live 2019 enhances the drive experience by adding a more thrilling off-road track. To increase the drive experience and product exposure for all our SUVs, Mercedes-Benz also has a specially designed self-drive zone with extended drive duration.

Highlights

• Self-drive experience of new-generation Mercedes-Benz cars such as CLA and GLA
• Self-drive experience on a specially designed off-road track for GLA, GLC and GLE 250
• Demonstration of GLE 350 and GLS
• Pre-safe demonstration in the C-Class and E- Class
• Innovative car displays comprising a range of new product launches

Gourmet: Gourmet has been the most successful engagement pillar for Luxe Drive over the years, as it presents a perfect blend of luxury and lifestyle. Mercedes-Benz continues its association with celebrity chef Ranveer Brar who will travel to all the Luxe Drive Live events and cook up a delectable spread of dishes. He will conduct an exclusive workshop on gourmet and food photography. Chef Brar will also introduce the industry-first Luxe Drive Culinary Academy to bring in more exclusivity to the gourmet pillar. Entry to the Academy is through participation in social media contests and the winner will get an exclusive hamper, while all other participants will receive certificates.

Music: Music is a high-attention grabber and is capable of enhancing brand reach across the country. Keeping this in mind, Mercedes-Benz created the extra ‘Music’ pillar at Luxe Drive Live to offer participants an electrifying and a memorable weekend. In an industry-first initiative, Mercedes-Benz India has associated with MTV for musical events that include a series of live musical gigs showcasing the works of reigning musicians as well as some of India’s highly-talented artistes and bands.

Guenter Butschek, CEO & Managing Director, Tata Motors Ltd, Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company Ltd with the Moderator.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), organised its 59^th Annual Convention titled “Moving into A New Era of Auto Industry”.

During the convention, the speakers highlighted how innovation, technological breakthroughs and automation are set to change the future of mobility globally. They deliberated on viable pathways which will lay the ground work for future mobility and smart manufacturing.

Talking about the future of mobility, John Moavenzadeh, Executive Director – Urban Mobility Professional Education, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Senior Advisor, Deloitte & Founder and Managing Partner, Mobility Nexus LLC, stated, “Digitization and new business model would shift mobility focus from products to service. Consumer behaviour today has shifted from vehicle ownership to pay-per-use models. Shared mobility will dominate the future, while traditional mobility will continue to remain relevant.” He also said “In the future, mobility will get more integrated– with data at the core of mobility integration powering by mobility data and advanced technologies.”

Vinod Aggarwal, Treasurer, SIAM and MD & CEO, VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd, highlighted that the Automobile Mission Plan aimed to propel the auto industry as the primary engine of growth for the ‘Make in India’ program. He also said that in Indian context CASE can have a different connotation which is Clean, Affordable, Safe and Efficient. Rahul Jain, MD & Senior Partner, The Boston Consulting Group, drew a comparison between global perspectives and Indian context saying that current challenges will lead to increased partnerships across government, infrastructure and overall industry. Martin Peter Schwenk, MD and CEO, Mercedes Benz India Pvt Ltd, spoke on how emerging new trends will impact revenues of companies.

Gurpratap Boparai, MD, Volkswagen India Pvt Ltd & Skoda Auto India Pvt Ltd opened the floor for discussions around Industry 4.0 by mentioning that this revolution would help bring smart manufacturing. However there has to be a roadmap which will allow a smooth transition. Prof. B Gurumoorthy, Professor, Indian Institute of Science & Chief Executive, Society for Innovation and Development, said, “Industry 4.0 is about taking digital world with human element into manufacturing in a more autonomous manner where decisions would be taken by machines based on artificial intelligence.”

Prof. Dr Detlef Zühlke, Executive Chairman, smartfactoryKL e.V. commented that  mass customization, regional production, online drivers and immediate delivery system will change the market scenario, “We need a stack of standards which includes interoperability, communication and electromechanical standards. Data is generated in huge amounts today for which AI-driven data analytics is necessary. Today we have comparable products, standards, market pressure and knowledge. We are also dealing with a variety of workforce issues, cybersecurity and legal framework.”

Talking in the “CEOs’ Panel – Revival of Automotive Industry”, Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors Ltd, reiterated that government must support the industry by lowering the GST before 20^th September so that nobody misses out on potential sales expected during the festive season. Clearing the air around EVs, Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company Ltd, said that EVs would not replace combustion vehicles and all kinds of technologies will continue to co-exist – electric, petrol, diesel fuel and others. Dr Pawan Goenka, MD, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, mentioned that auto OEMs should work cohesively in this testing times and urged that govt. and industry should come together to beat this downturn.

Concluding the day long convention, Dr A R Sihag, Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Government of India, commented, “New auto policies are engineered keeping in mind demands of various stakeholders. Extensive discussion on the economic slowdown is impacting consumer sentiments. Even the talk around GST rate reduction will make the customers wait indefinitely which would impact sales.” He further said, “As far as the scrappage policy is concerned, it is under review and the government is laying down the way forward.”

Concluding the 59^th SIAM Annual Convention, Rajan Wadhera, President, SIAM and President (Automotive Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd said, “Department of Heavy Industry needs to anchor the auto sector at present. A single decision making body should be formed for the auto sector on the lines of NAB.” He thanked the Secretary that Government is actively considering scrappage policy. Summarising the key highlights by the speakers today, he said, “Automation and innovative solutions will result in smart manufacturing. We should also be mindful that the 4^th revolution of the industry shouldn’t reduce jobs. Industry needs to recover faster before BSVI kicks in which will have its own challenges on sales. Further, we will continue the dialogue with the government on GST reduction.”

Mercedes-Benz India’s luxurious experiential event — Luxe Drive Live — is all set to delight patrons and potential customers in Kolkata, on September 7-8, 2019.

The event has been planned in light of the grand success of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz Luxe Drive Live in Coimbatore and Guwahati.

Built on three exciting pillars — Adrenaline, Gourmet and Music — #LuxeDriveLive is a unique customer engagement initiative that offers participants a holistic brand experience.

Luxe Drive and MTV will share the stage to present an impressive musical extravaganza with electrifying performances from some of the most talented voices in the industry. Popular bands like Serenade, The Yellow Diary, Fame The Band and Gingerfeet would be performing for the audiences in Kolkata. After the soul-stirring music, patrons can go on a culinary trip and relish mouthwatering cuisine prepared exclusively by celebrity chef Ranveer Brar.

Luxe Drive Live will provide a complementary car evaluation experience and special trade-in with personalised finance and an opportunity to pick up exclusive Mercedes-Benz merchandise. It will also have a special zone for patrons’ children, Daimler Financial Services, and an advisory facility for potential consumers.

Highlights

The event consists of the following three pillars of experience:

Adrenaline: Designed to heighten driving experience at the Luxe Drive Live event, Mercedes-Benz has divided the product engagement into five zones, offering guests a range of vehicles to choose from. The driving experience is also enhanced by the availability of more self-drive zones with extended duration. Automobile enthusiasts can witness the technical expertise and superior performance of Mercedes-Benz products through hands-on driving on custom-designed test tracks. To increase the drive experience and product exposure for all its SUVs, Mercedes-Benz also has a specially designed self-drive zone for the GLA and GLC. Patrons can be a part of the SUV demonstration drives that showcase the off-road capabilities of the GLE and GLS models, along with a pre-safe demonstration in the C-Class and E-Class.

Gourmet: This has been the most successful engagement pillar for Luxe Drive Live over the years. Mercedes-Benz continues its association with Chef Ranveer Brar to provide guests with a delectable culinary experience. The renowned chef will also interact with participants in an exclusive workshop on gourmet and food photography.

Luxe Drive Live and MTV sessions: Mercedes-Benz has created an extra pillar for the extravagant evening to provide participants with an electrifying experience and a memorable weekend. Mercedes-Benz India is associating with MTV for a series of live music gigs that showcase the work of today’s leading singers and present some of the most talented artists across genres.