Mercedes S-Class and Jaguar XJ compete in premium car market

The premium car market in Indonesia heated up in the last week of April when two major car manufacturers launched their latest models.

The DaimlerChrysler group launched its new Mercedes Benz S- Class on April 24, followed by Jaguar's XJ Type the next day.

Both companies called the new models the flagships for their brands.

The S-Class offers Pre-Safe technology, which DaimlerChrysler said allowed the car to detect a collision in advance using sensors and to take necessary precautions.

These precautions include, among other things, closing the sunroof, tightening the seat belts and returning the seats to normal position.

"We intend to remain the technology leader in the future. This is our declared ambition and firmly anchored in our corporate strategy," the president director of DaimlerChrysler Group Indonesia, Friedel Engisch, told reporters during the launch of the latest model S-Class at the Shangri-La Hotel.

"One of our most important new features is the 'Vision of accident-free driving'. The car of the future should be able to predict a possible accident, warn the driver and if necessary support his or her reactions," he said.

The new Mercedes Benz S-Class is represented by two models which are only available in Indonesia and Thailand: the S-280L and the S-350L models.

The "L" means that the models have a longer wheelbase than their predecessors.

In addition to the Pre-Safe technology, the S-350L also carries another important difference in its engine capacity. Instead of using a 3,500 cc engine, it relies on a larger 3,700 cc engine.

"The S-350L is replacing the S-320 model and it comes longer and with a more powerful engine," said PT DaimlerChrysler Indonesia deputy director of marketing, Anto Nurdiyanto.

"Interested customers can also order larger models of the S- Class: the S-500 and S-600 models, although they have to wait a little bit longer," he added.

The S-280L and S-350L models are locally assembled with about 10 percent local content, while the larger models are imported in completely-built-up (CBU) form.

The S-280L will cost a customer some Rp 1.197 billion (US$136,000) while the S-350L is tagged at Rp 1.65 billion.

"The price may look more expensive but these two models are actually cheaper than the older ones, with all the features and the long wheelbase," Anto said.

"We are sure that we will be able to sell 150 units this year," he added.

Meanwhile, Jaguar is promising better fuel consumption as its latest XJ Type, the seventh generation since its first appearance in 1968, uses an aluminum structure that reduces the weight by up to 40 percent, while also increasing structure stiffness by 60 percent.

Despite the innovative aluminum structure, the designers made sure that the car looks like a Jaguar.

"The customers want a Jaguar that is instantly recognizable. The shape of a model has to belong to a Jaguar," chief operating officer of PT Grandauto Dinamika, the sole distributor for Jaguar in Indonesia, Darwin Maspolim, said during the XJ Type's unveiling at its Jl. S. Parman showroom.

"The new XJ is still an XJ, only better looking," he said.

Darwin said his company would provide only two of the five variants available on the new XJ Type. The two variants use the 3.0 V6 and 4.2 supercharged (SC) V8 engine, respectively.

The 3.5, 4.2 and XJR variants, however, are still available to interested customers, though the delivery period will be longer.

"The decision to provide only two variants was based on economic considerations, because it would be too expensive if we provided all five variants," said Darwin.

"The 3.0 engine is similar to the one used in the X Type while the 4.2 SC engine is the same as the S Type's engine. So we already have all the parts needed in case of maintenance," he said.

The XJ 3.0 costs Rp 1.2 billion while the XJ 4.2 SC is sold for Rp 1.9 billion.

Darwis expects to sell some 40 XJs this year.

-- Novan Iman Santosa