Mercedes brings its 140-year S-Class world tour to India in July
Mercedes-Benz will start the India chapter of its global 140 Years. 140 Places. drive in July 2026. Three S-Class saloons, named Gotlieb, Carl and Bertha, are crossing six continents and 55-plus countries to mark 140 years since Carl Benz patented the first automobile in 1886.
What was announced
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the India leg of its global 140 Years. 140 Places. drive will commence in July 2026. The initiative marks 140 years since Carl Benz filed the patent for the first automobile on 29 January 1886, and is being run as a transcontinental relay across six continents and more than 55 countries, covering over 60,000 km and stopping at 140 locations worldwide.
A 60,000 km goodwill drive does not change a single specification on the S-Class you can buy today, but it cements the three-pointed star's grip on India's luxury order.
Three S-Class saloons, named Gotlieb, Carl and Bertha after the Benz family, are the hero cars for the entire drive. The same three cars will arrive in India and traverse the country across two planned routes. Confirmed stops include Delhi, Amritsar, Jammu, Ladakh, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna, Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ahmedabad and Pune, spanning the north, the Himalayas, the Gangetic plains, Rajasthan and western India.
Mercedes-Benz has stated that the drive is intended to document India's landscapes, cultural heritage, architecture and craftsmanship, with content captured along the route to be used in the brand's global anniversary communication. The company has not announced any India-specific product reveal, price action or dealer event tied to the drive. No new variant of the S-Class has been confirmed for launch alongside the activity. The S-Class continues to be sold in India in petrol and diesel guise, with the plug-in hybrid variant widely expected as the next addition to the line-up.
The Car Jury verdict
This is a brand parade, not a product story, and we will call it that. A 60,000 km globe-trot in three S-Class saloons does nothing for the buyer signing a cheque on a GLC or a GLA next quarter. It is goodwill mileage for the three-pointed star, dressed up in heritage.
That said, the India route matters because the luxury market here is small but lopsided. As Biturbo Media notes, "the German trio of Mercedes, BMW and Audi have been ruling the roost." A visible S-Class convoy from Ladakh to Udaipur reinforces that hierarchy at zero showroom cost. Rachit Hirani of MotorOctane is right that the upcoming S-Class plug-in hybrid is the more interesting Mercedes conversation. Until that car lands, this drive is the warm-up act, useful for the brand, neutral for buyers.
