Indian President Pratibha Patil gets a 6 Cr Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Limousine

The President of India, Pratibha Patil, has been provided with a all-new Mercedes Benz S600L Pullman, an armored car with complete luxurious interior & special protection features provide cover from military-standard small-arms projectiles and fragments from hand grenades and other explosives, sources said. It’s mentioned that the President’s limousine has been upgraded after nearly eight years & costs around Rs. 6 crores.

 

The sources said the new vehicle for the President was purchased around the middle of this year and it took one year to build the special-protection vehicle - whose safety features include the ability to run on flat tyres, a self-sealing fuel tank and a fire-extinguishing system. Rashtrapati Bhawan has purchased the vehicle to be used only by the President, the sources said.

The Mercedes Benz Pullman S600L limousine is powered by a twelve cylinder bi-turbo engine with a displacement of 5513cc & is capable of delivering a spectacular peak power of 515 Bhp. This machine has spacious interiors with an overall length of 6356 mm & 4315 mm wheelbase. Other additional safety features included in the luxury car of Indian President are run-flat tires, a self-sealing fuel tank and a fire-extinguishing system.

Mercedes Benz had showcased the S600L Pullman at the Delhi Auto Expo in 2010. Among other features, the car offers a special air intake system which can circulate fresh air even if there are poisonous gases around.

Keeping in view the President's need to interact with state guests and other high-level dignitaries while on the move, the seating has been designed to enable passengers to sit facing each other. A partition between the driver's seat and the passenger compartment has been added to ensure privacy.

Sources said all the top luxury makers, including other German majors such as Audi and BMW, had made a pitch to deliver the state vehicle, considering the prestige and status attached to it. On the other hand, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh uses a two B5-level armoured BMW 7 Series car.