CHENNAI: More than two years ahead of the government’s deadline of April 2020 for switching to new emission norms, German auto major Mercedes-Benz on Friday unveiled a BS-VI-compliant S Class produced at its Pune facility.
The new car, which can be run on the BS-IV fuel, will bring down nitrous oxides by 68 per cent. The engine will also produce 82 per cent less particulate matter and better fuel efficiency by six per cent than the outgoing V6 motor. When the country moves to BS-IV fuels, the company said this would lower the CO2 burden by 13 per cent and fuel demand by 10 per cent.
The newly introduced S- Class diesel sedan will be rolled out at the forthcoming Auto Expo and commercial launch and pricing will be announced later, said Mercedes- Benz India managing director and chief executive Roland Folger. The introduction of the country’s first BS-VI vehicles is a significant milestone and will further accelerate adoption of cleaner vehicles and thereby achieve the objective of cleaner air, he added.
Stating that the introduction of the new fuel emission norms will drastically reduce pollution and help India advance to better technologies used globally, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said that the Centre has decided to make BS VI mandatory for all vehicles from April 1.