The occasion: The first-ever launch of a Mercedes in town

The model: A gleaming silver New Generation E class that has been refurbished with 2,000 added features

As cameras flashed and spotlights beamed, the luxury saloon, with its elliptical twin headlamps and the triangular insignia, made an entry into a market that has seen a 40 per cent growth in sales of Mercedes passenger cars.

Making a debut only three years ago, Interkrafts, the sole Mercedes dealer in town, has bagged the best dealership award, accounting for five per cent of the all-India sales.

“With an industrial resurgence in Calcutta, buoyed with a 40 per cent growth in sales, we are extremely upbeat about the eastern segment,” said Wilfried Aulbur, MD and CEO of Mercedes operations in India.

“More and more of the today generation are keen to join the Mercedes family, starting off with the E class and moving on to C and S,” he said. “Apart from top corporate executives, there are also first-generation buyers, particularly from the IT sector,” said Aulbur.

“Calcutta is also a link to the eastern and northeastern segments, as also to Bangladesh and Nepal,” he added.

The newly-refurbished E class, launched three months back in the West, is now available in two lines: Classic and Elegance, for a pocket pinch of Rs 37-45 lakh.

“This is our most popular model, having sold 10 million the world over. In India, we sold 676 units in 2003, that rose to 825 units in 2005. We are buoyant about the 2006 figures as well,” said Aulbur.

Explaining the new features, he said: “We just made it more safe, luxurious and comfortable.” The new E class has met and exceeded 330 crash tests, including the newly-introduced US rear impact test and the side impact crash test.

On the Calcutta road, Aulbur said, the Merc passenger “is completely insulated and can look upon his car as an extension of his office or a relaxation space with its thermatic automatic climate control and plush upholstery”.

The DaimlerChrysler beauty comes with a new front end look, with Pre-Safe and NeckPro safety features that have been taken from its 2002 S Class model and enhanced luxury and comfort items including a colour coordinated chrome-leather upholstery.