Mercedes-Benz India has revealed an AI-powered device that enables quicker vehicle inspection upon entry to its service centre. Dubbed the XENTRY Scanner, the service debuted at the brand’s newly established centre by Landmark Cars in Jogeshwari, Mumbai.
- Mercedes’ first AI-powered car scanning system arrives at its largest workshop in Mumbai.
- Uses a 360-degree camera system to identify damage on a car’s exterior.
- Service Select debuts as a new scheme for older Mercedes vehicles.
Currently, the scanner is the only one of its kind in India at this service centre, which spans around 58,000 sq. ft., making it the brand’s largest in Mumbai. This facility consists of 16 preventive maintenance and general repair bays, 9 body and paint bays and 9 supporting bays, supported by a dedicated 6,000 sq. ft. spare-parts area.
How does Mercedes’ XENTRY Car Scanner work?
The brand calls it an MRI scanner for its cars
As the car enters the workshop, it is made to pass through the XENTRY scanner. The scanner utilises a 360-degree high-resolution camera system comprising 13 cameras and a LiDAR sensor. Images of the car are captured and analysed across four categories: body, underbody, windshield and tyres. The system captures 150 images within 3 to 5 seconds and then transmits the data to the Mercedes-Benz cloud.
Artificial intelligence then comes into play, identifying every kind of damage on the car’s exterior, even the ones that aren’t visible to the naked eye. It also provides in-depth tyre information, including their health, tread depth and braking performance. To maintain privacy, the system does not capture images of the driver. The findings are added directly to the job card of the particular car without manual entry, enabling better co-ordinated workshop processes. Mercedes says the process is entirely paperless, reducing walking distances, waiting times and paperwork that traditionally accompanied service reception.
Speaking about the thinking behind such initiatives, Mr Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “Productivity has to be the core. Reason being, from a real estate perspective, you need to turn cars around faster, while initiatives like the car scanner are more of a productivity enhancement. But on the customer side too, they expect the car to be turned around quickly, which is a pure mobility requirement for the customer.”
Next, a service advisor receives all the information on a tablet and informs the customer of a detailed list of vehicle wear and tear. It is then up to the customer to approve servicing of the concerned parts on the spot. The brand claims that a digital record of service status eliminates the need for manual inspections by the customer.
Interestingly, Landmark’s own internal research points to a shift in service revenue coming from EV adoption growth. “Landmark did a study of the service cost of EV versus ICE. Over the last six months, they’ve seen that the cost is the same in terms of maintenance. But this isn’t coming from maintenance; it’s coming from the body shop. More of the latter is done on EVs compared to ICE cars, said Mr Iyer.
India now adds to the list of countries to offer Mercedes’ XENTRY scanner. Previously, the tech was available in international markets like Germany, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Turkey. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz plans to expand to more than 20 ‘world-class’ luxury outlets in 2026 in India, supported by an investment of more than Rs 450 crore by franchise partners over the next two years.
Mercedes Service Select: A service plan for older Mercedes vehicles
While Mercedes-Benz provides a standard 3-year warranty on new cars, it has also introduced a new service scheme for older vehicles. Called ‘Service Select’, Mercedes cars 7 years or older are eligible for this service. The scheme enables up to 25 percent savings for periodic service and brake care, a 2-year warranty on spare parts, benefits of its ‘Mobilio Lite’ service facility, and residual value protection of the vehicle.
With inputs from Hormazd Sorabjee