Mercedes-Benz launches AI-powered vehicle scanner to transform luxury car servicing

MUMBAI: Mercedes-Benz India has launched an AI-powered automated vehicle scanner in India as part of a wider set of customer-centric service initiatives aimed at making luxury car ownership more transparent, convenient and cost-efficient.

The Vehicle Scanner, introduced at the Landmark Cars service facility in Jogeshwari, Mumbai, is described by Mercedes-Benz as India’s first AI-powered automated vehicle scanner deployed by a carmaker.

The technology creates a 360-degree digital record of a vehicle’s exterior condition when it passes through the scanner, capturing high-resolution images that are analysed by artificial intelligence to identify external damage and assess tyre tread depth.

The findings are automatically added to the workshop order and reception report, linking the vehicle assessment directly to the service job without manual data entry.

Mercedes-Benz said the system is designed to reduce testing time and paperwork while giving customers access to real-time information about their vehicle.

As the vehicle moves through the scanner, a 360-degree camera system captures its complete exterior condition and transmits the data to the Mercedes-Benz cloud. The images are automatically anonymised, while AI identifies visible damage and measures tyre tread depth.

The service advisor receives the resulting information on a tablet, allowing the customer to view the condition of the vehicle and discuss the work that may be required before approving the service.

The digital record can also be used when the vehicle is collected, reducing the need for customers to conduct a separate physical inspection.

Mercedes-Benz said standardised digital assessment is intended to ensure consistency in the inspection process across vehicles and visits.

The company has positioned the technology as part of its broader effort to use artificial intelligence and automation to improve transparency, trust and efficiency in vehicle servicing.

“The Mercedes of Service” is the company’s stated ambition, with Santosh Iyer, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, saying the company is challenging existing servicing norms and integrating AI and technology to improve customer convenience and optimise the overall cost of ownership.

The Vehicle Scanner is already operational in several international markets, including Germany, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Turkey.

Alongside the technology launch, Mercedes-Benz has introduced Service Select, a customer loyalty programme targeted at vehicles that are seven years old and above.

The programme offers savings of up to 25% on select parts, benefits of Mobilio Lite, a two-year warranty on parts and expert care aimed at protecting the residual value of older Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

The company said Service Select is intended to lower the total cost of ownership for customers with older vehicles and encourage them to continue maintaining their cars through expert service networks.

The service strategy extends beyond these two initiatives.

Mercedes-Benz India said its customer-centric service model is built around seamless ownership, time efficiency, technology- and AI-driven trust, customer loyalty, creating “WOW” moments and lowering total cost of ownership through greater transparency.

The company has introduced or expanded a range of services under these themes, including MB. CHARGE Public, the MBFS Mobile App, SKYLine dealer management software, Premier Express Prime, Fast Lane Body & Paint, Doorstep Mobile Service, HV Battery Reports, Collision Care Connected Support, mobility assistance with tele-diagnostics and live tracking, and a chauffeur training programme.

Mercedes-Benz is also using AI-powered agents for faster query resolution and is expanding customer engagement through experience days and service clinics.

The AI scanner is being introduced alongside the inauguration of Landmark Cars’ new luxury service facility in Mumbai.

The facility, described by Mercedes-Benz as the city’s largest luxury service facility, is the company’s 14th luxury facility in Mumbai and the first facility in India to have the AI-powered automated XENTRY Vehicle Scanner.

Spread across approximately 58,000 square feet, the facility has 16 preventive maintenance and general repair bays, nine body and paint bays and nine supporting bays. It also has a dedicated 6,000-square-foot spare-parts area and around 95 trained professionals.

The facility forms part of Mercedes-Benz India’s “Go to Customer” strategy, under which the company is expanding its physical service presence while investing in digital service technologies.

Mercedes-Benz said it plans to add more than 20 world-class luxury outlets during 2026. Franchise partners are expected to invest more than ₹450 crore over the next two years to support the expansion.

The company’s broader service network currently includes more than 90 service touchpoints and over 1,200 service bays, supported by a workforce of more than 4,200 people. Mercedes-Benz said its network handles around 12,500 parts sales a day and services approximately three cars a minute across India.

The emphasis on service technology comes as luxury automobile ownership increasingly extends beyond the vehicle itself to the quality, speed and transparency of after-sales support.

For Mercedes-Benz, the use of AI at the first point of service is intended to change that interaction from a largely manual inspection into a digital process in which both the customer and service advisor can see the same vehicle data.

The company said automated documentation allows service advisors to spend more time with customers, while AI-supported detection can identify relevant service and repair requirements that might otherwise go unnoticed during a manual inspection.

The strategy also places greater emphasis on controlling ownership costs.

Alongside Service Select, Mercedes-Benz offers the STAR EASE Service Package, a three-year standard warranty and extended warranty options of up to six years. The company describes these offerings as part of its effort to provide a lower total cost of ownership for customers.

The launch comes in Mercedes-Benz’s 140th anniversary year, with the company marking 140 years of automotive innovation through a global “140 Years. 140 Places” journey involving three S-Class vehicles.

For Mercedes-Benz India, the latest service initiatives represent another stage in the company’s effort to combine luxury ownership with digital technology.

The vehicle scanner puts artificial intelligence directly into the customer-service interaction, while Service Select seeks to make ownership of older Mercedes-Benz vehicles more economical.

Together, the initiatives point to a broader shift in luxury automotive servicing — from simply repairing a vehicle to creating a more data-driven, transparent and personalised ownership experience.