Now, Mercedes Pocket-Class

Fancy an affordable luxury car? A Mercedes, BMW or Audi for less than ₹ 20 lakh? No, we're not talking about second-hand cars. We're talking about the big troika - BMW, Mercedes and Audi.

The three top auto brands from Germany plan to bring less expensive small cars into India's intensely competitive landscape.

Mercedes would be the first to take a bow with its A- and B-class hatchbacks.

The B-class being projected as India's first sports tourer will be showcased in Delhi on Thursday and launched in September followed by the smaller and cheaper A-class next year.

While the B-class would still be expensive around ₹ 24-25 lakh, the A-class is likely to be the game-changer at a price less than ₹ 20 lakh.

'The game will change again when we bring in our A- and B-class compact cars here,' said Peter Honegg, Mercedes Benz India CEO.

'We expect that these cars, along with a range of others, would propel us to the number 1 position by 2020.'

The other two aren't sitting idle either.

'The market for small luxury cars will be very strong,' said Hendrik von Kuenheim who heads BMW's Asia Pacific operations.

'We will look at that segment and bring products that will appeal to consumers not only in terms of price but also product substance.'

If you thought luxury meant only big and expensive, it's time for a re-think.

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