Mercedes GLE is the best selling SUV in India

The Mercedes GLE 400 4MATIC petrol variant has been launched in India at INR 74.9 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). The NGT’s Delhi diesel ban damaged Mercedes’ prospects in the country so far.

The supreme court’s new decision to lift the ban and levy 1% green cess (environment protection charge if you will) on all bigger engined diesel vehicles shoots the prices up quite significantly.

The anti-diesel conditions have prompted the German luxury automaker to introduce a petrol engine in its SUV for the first time in India. The GLE is the best selling SUV in Merc’s Indian portfolio and the new variant will primarily target prospective customers in the NCR.

Under the hood lies a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine which is rated at a healthy 245 PS and 480 Nm of torque. The motor is paired with a standard 7G-Tronic automatic transmission with 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. Despite its heft, the SUV is claimed to have an impressive top speed of 247 kmph.

The GLE 400 4MATIC comes loaded up to the brim with equipment such as AIRMATIC suspension with Adaptive Dampening System, five different drive modes, COMAND infotainment system with wifi-hotspot and Harman Kardon music system, Crosswind Assist, Active Parking Assist, Attention Assist, Brake Assist, multiple airbags, and so on.

Mercedes leads the petrol model game but BMW and Audi are expected to catch up soon. In fact, Audi India is working on introducing petrol models across its lineup by the end of this fiscal.

This article first appeared on Rushlane.com