Four-seater smart for India

After so many companies announced their optimistic investment intentions to spend money on Indian operations, Mercedes-Benz does nothing more than to follow the trend, so it sketched its very own plan for this particular market. The smart brand is very likely to meet Indian roads but, because a 2-seat doesn't have too many chances to succeed in the local market, a four-seater is reportedly under development.

A report by Rush Lane citing Peter Honegg, MD, Mercedes India, informs that, if it really reaches the Indian soil, the car will most likely be assembled locally. Mercedes' plant in Chakan currently uses 60 percent of its overall capacity, so a smart model would fit perfectly.

“We are thinking in that direction. Definitely, (the Smart) is a very interesting product. The compact car segment is very competitive. It’s far below all our Mercedes models, and is a segment we haven’t touched, but which most of the competitors are very serious about in India. The Smart brand name is not recognized in India yet," the Mercedes official said.

More importantly, it seems like the Germans have already developed a smart prototype that could be addressed to Indian customers but details pretty much end here.

"Looking at the quality of roads here, we will look very closely at the Smart for India. I have seen a possible prototype; it needs a lot of work Of course, the small car cannot be brought through the traditional CKD route that Mercedes uses in India. It needs to be manufactured in India to make it price competitive. This shouldn’t be a problem because Mercedes currently uses only 60% of the Chakan plant. Mercedes Benz could work out an arrangement with Renault-Nissan to manufacture the car at Oragadam if needed," the Indian official concluded.