The new car, built on the platform of the S 600, surpasses the Maybach, also from Mercedes Benz's stable, which comes at a price starting from Rs 5.5 crore.
For its price, S-Guard offers special protective features—ability to withstand ballistic and firearms attack, and is fitted with a 12 cylinder 5.5 cc petrol engine.
"This car is basically targeted at corporate and industry leaders, government officials and celebrities. We want to tap the growing market for armoured and protective vehicles in India," Mercedes-Benz India Member of the Board of Management Suhas Kadlaskar told reporters here.
The company is promoting the car as a total "mobile security concept" and it is fitted with armoured shielding equipped to withstand high intensity blasts (in technical parlance—B6 & B7 range).
“We have already received some enquiries from interested customers for the S-Guard. The exact price of the car will depend on specifications sought by the individual customers as well as issues like import duty,” Kadlaskar said. The company's dealership staff across the country will be equipped to service the car.
The S-Guard will come as completely built unit from the company's plant in Germany.
The S-Guard can withstand blast from three hand grenades at a single time, with a special fire extinguisher fitted at the car's bottom to deal with fire. The car's fuel tank, built with special elements, can self-seal within seconds of being hit by bullets or lethal arms. With a torque of 830 nm (Newton Metre) and a top speed of 210 km per hour, it can operate on flat tyres, and has infra-red head-lamps, infra-red camera to pick up reflected vision and night view assist systems.