Did you know that in August 2019 Mercedes-Benz India introduced something called ‘Wishbox’? It consisted of five primary features; all targeted to make car buying much more accessible even though the entire industry was under the worst depression in decades. Now, with the country slowing getting into the grove after COVID-19 lockdown, the German carmaker is back with ‘Wishbox 2.0’.

So, what do we have this time around? Leading from the front is the benefit of no EMI (Easy Monthly Installment) for the first three months. That should help prospective customers make a purchase decision faster. This scheme is applicable for the standard loan and Agility package under Wishbox 2.0, with the tenure ranging between 3-5 years.

Those who want to opt for either a trade-in or an exchange can go for what Mercedes-Benz calls Step-Up 2020. In essence, it allows customers to pay smaller EMIs for the first six months. All they need to do is make a down payment of just 20 per cent of the whole deal. Normal EMIs resume from the seventh month onwards.

If neither of the solutions mentioned above floats your boat, then perhaps you could consider the 10-year finance option. Those who opt for this will enter a contract which is essentially an amalgamation of two sub-contracts – a 5-year loan and a 5-year refinance. Apart from the convenience of a longer tenure for repayment, customers can also opt for a guaranteed buyback after five years, and avail an EMI of just Rs 1,499 per lakh.

Okay. Can you avail any of those finance schemes on all Mercedes-Benz models? No. Only on a select few, including the C-Class, the E-Class and the GLC. Doctors can avail an additional Rs 1 lakh price benefit on their purchase. And, as a final kicker, Mercedes-Benz has pledged to contribute Rs 15,000 to PM Cares Fund for COVID-19 relief, for the first 500 cars sold online. Do the math, and the total comes up to be Rs 75 lakh. One would want to experience a vehicle before buying it. You can do that physically now as authorised outlets are slowly getting back into action.