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Mercedes-Benz has brought ‘one of the safest places on earth’ to India at a price tag of Rs 8.9 crore (ex-showroom Delhi). The German luxury car maker on Thursday launched the S600 Guard, an armoured passenger vehicle in India, targeted at government officials, politicians and businessmen. The price also includes two-day training for two drivers in Germany.
“We are glad to introduce this ‘fortress on wheels’ for our high-profile Indian customers, who require the highest levels of protection on the move,” said Eberhard Kern, managing director and chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz in India. The company claims to have secured pre-orders for the Guard. This will be the third model of the Guard portfolio to be sold in India, after E-Guard and M-Guard.
The Guard is certified for high ballistics protection. The company has integrated protective components of special steel into the cavities between the body structure and the outer skin. The glasses are coated with polycarbonate on the inside for protection. The Guard weighs 1.9 tonne more than a standard model of Mercedes but the protective layer is not visible from outside. In short, it is not simple to distinguish an armored vehicle from a standard one. But it offers the same comfort as the standard vehicle. Other highlights of the vehicle are panic alarm system, automatic fire extinguisher, emergency fresh air system in event of a smoke. The car, with Michelin run-flat tyres, can run for up to 30kms even with damaged tyres, allowing occupant to escape from the danger zone.
Markus Rubenbauer, who heads Guard sales globally, said it is the first vehicle in Germany to have level VR9 of protection that can withstand rifle fire from military weapons and also offer protection from grenades and explosives. Interestingly, the biggest markets for the company’s armored vehicles are Latin America, Russia and West Asia. Sale of exisitng Guard models is in double digits in India while the global sales are in four digits. Mercedes Benz made its first armored vehicle in 1928 for a German emperor.
