We have been reporting in detail about various Mercedes Benz StarDrive events that have been taking place in the country. The grand finale of Mercedes-Benz India “StarDrive” driving experience program in Mumbai on December 1.
The StarDrive Experience by Mercedes-Benz aims to educate its prospects and consumers about the handling of critical road situations in a safe and controlled environment by simulating real accident & off road conditions. The enthusiasm for StarDrive Experience was enhanced by the participation of renowned Bollywood actor, director and singer, Farhan Akhtar, who is also the First owner of the New M-Class.
Mr. Debashis Mitra, Director Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India: “With the StarDrive Experience, Mercedes-Benz India continues to present a fascinating and adventurous extravaganza for its customers. The StarDrive Experience combines the essential elements of driving experience with simulation of critical road situation and embodies Mercedes-Benz’s spirit of innovation with an element of fun. This unique experiential marketing initiative now in its third year has been a key demonstrator of the technological prowess each Mercedes-Benz car embodies.” He further added “The participation of close to 7500 customers and enthusiasts in StarDrive Experience since its inception is a testimony of the trust the brand enjoys. We are extremely enthused by the resounding success of StarDrive Experience over the years and it makes us confident of our deep understanding of the pulse of our customers and we will bring StarDrive Experience 2013 with newer innovations.”
Raymond Wong, CEO – ExxonMobil Lubricants Private Limited India, the sponsor partner for this event, said: “Mobil 1 has long been the lubricant of choice for race teams competing in Formula One – one of the most demanding motorsports series. We have a long history and a strong association with Mercedes-Benz and motorsports. ExxonMobil provides Mercedes-Benz with Mobil 1 lubricant technology, expertise and support to develop next-generation lubricants for car engines and gearboxes. And it is a privilege for us to be a partner in the Mercedes-Benz StarDrive Experience, which is aimed at giving participants a unique driving experience through various tough simulations to showcase the power, agility, unparalleled safety features and engineering technology of these cars”.
The dynamic Mercedes-Benz off roaders like the M-Class and the GL-Class along with the C-Class and the E-class were put to test their power and performance under this exclusive drive experience. The exciting C 63 AMGs and the E 63 AMGs further raised the bar of performance during the drive.
The off-road and on-road performance in terms of agility, simulation and dynamics of all the vehicles were brought to the knowledge of the prospects and the customers. The participants could experience the tangible benefits of world-class safety technologies like Pro-Engineering Package, Airmatic Package, 4ETS, Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) etc. during the driving program.
This year the event activities are divided into following sections:
1. PRE-SAFE Demonstration activity: Dynamics of Mercedes-Benz sedans – C-Class and E class namely safety, agility and performance like PRE-SAFE®, ESP® are brought to the fore through controlled demonstration activities.
2. Off-roading demonstration activity: Tangible benefits of key off-roading technologies like Pro-Engineering Package, Airmatic Package, 4ETS, downhill speed regulation (DSR), etc. are showcased through demonstration activities with MB SUV’s – GL-Class and ML-Class. Artificial parcour set-ups have been created that resemble natural off-road terrains to demonstrate off-roading features in MB SUV’s. These parcours have been designed on the basis of global guidelines made by Mercedes-Benz driving events team at Germany for creating parcour set-up for globally held driving events.