In India, buying a vehicle is no less than a festival as customers look for everything, from an ‘auspicious period’ to a ‘lucky registration number’ when getting their dream vehicle.
Speaking to Mobility Outlook, Vinkesh Gulati once noted that, on average, an Indian customer buys a vehicle twice in his lifetime, which makes the entire buying process a lot more important.
Moreover, the entire buying process also ensures that the customer builds a long-lasting relationship with the dealership they are choosing, he noted. Usually, people prefer to select a dealership that they are familiar with.
On this front, an interesting development happened last week. The German luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz delivered a personally curated Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 to Geeta Goradia, spouse of city-based business person Amit Goradia.
The luxury SUV was delivered to Geeta Goradia by Dr Bharat Balasubramanian, Professor and Executive Director Center for Advanced Vehicle Technology at College of Engineering, University of Alabama, (also an Ex-Board member of Mercedes-Benz India & Chairman of Mercedes-Benz R&D India and former Vice President of Daimler Group Research and Advanced Engineering), in the presence of Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India.
Story Since 1968
Dr Balasubramanian and Amit had known each other since 1968 when they shared the same hostel room in IIT Bombay. After graduating from IIT, while Dr Balasubramanian joined Daimler-Benz, Amit, on the other hand, forayed into building his industry in Vadodara. However, he always remained involved with Germany through his company's affiliation with Kuenkel-Wagner, a foundry equipment manufacturer in Hannover, Germany.
Notably, the relationship between Mercedes-Benz and the Gorodias started to build in 2015 when they visited Dr Balasubramanian multiple times at Mercedes-Benz Germany, who convinced the Goradias into becoming staunch brand loyalists of the Three-Pointed Star.
Later in the fall of 2021, Amit decided to gift his wife the Maybach GLS, made in Tuscaloosa, USA. This is where his friend Dr Balasubramanian came to support him again.
By now, Dr Balasubramanian was a distinguished member of the University of Alabama; however, he collaborated with the MB US team in Tuscaloosa and the Mercedes-Benz AG team in Sindelfingen, Germany, to document the making of the Maybach GLS.
Building The Fortress In Front Of Eye
MBUSI invited Dr Balasubramanian to be a part of this exclusive experience, which he witnessed and documented, following all safety protocols and capturing the stage-by-stage manufacturing of the Mercedes-Maybach.
Given that the Maybach demands the ultimate perfection in automotive workmanship, only a few thousand Maybachs are handcrafted every year.
During his supervision, Dr Balasubramanian shared his expert opinion on its customisation, especially the e-suspension, which was invented by his group in MB-Sindelfingen, Germany.
Key customisations available in the Mercedes-Maybach GLS personalised for Amit Goradia included the special Hyacinth Red Metallic exterior paintwork. The specially crafted vehicle also benefits from a fully active e-suspension, which has been redeveloped from the ground up.
Now it can assess the road conditions, speed and load. For this, the high-performance control units analyse the driving conditions 1,000 times per second. Damping and level control are automatically adjusted for each wheel accordingly, resulting in better ride comfort and excellent stability on any road condition.
Meanwhile, the cabin of the fortress has been given the Burmester 26 speakers high-end 3D surround sound system with a system output of 1,610W along with MBUX rear seat entertainment system and Magic Vision Control system that ensures better visibility even during the wiping process by using heated water ducts in the windscreen wipers. These spray washer fluid directly onto the windscreen in front of the wiper blades – precisely where needed.
Special Delivery For A Special Customer
The luxury SUV was finally hand-delivered on September 18 2022, to Geeta Goradia by Dr Balasubramanian, who travelled from Tuscaloosa to Vadodara, alongside Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India.
Schwenk said, “The making of this particular vehicle marks the spirits of friendship, unmatched enthusiasm, and excitement of two friends, the passion for excellence, and an endearment for brand Mercedes-Benz.'
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