Mercedes-Benz car sales in India move up
Mercedes-Benz continued its lead in the Indian luxury car segment for the fourth year in a row. Its car sales increased by 1.4% to 15,538 units in 2018 from 15,330 in 2017. Mercedes-Benz sold 2.3 million cars globally in 2018.
Martin Schwenk, Managing Director and CEO, MercedesBenz India, said, “We are satisfied with our sales performance in 2018 despite facing strong macro-economic headwinds in the second half, resulting in low consumer sentiment that posed significant sales challenges. We however made a strong comeback in the fourth quarter and were able to achieve a year-on-year growth. We are excited that we introduced new products and technologies in the market including India’s first BS-VI car, two years ahead of the regulation, and also created new benchmark in the areas of customer service and retail experience, as underlined by the top ranking for Mercedes-Benz in the latest J.D. Power CSI & SSI studies. Our product offensive strategy combined with our carefully crafted customer service and financial programmes bore fruits and helped us in winning over more customers to the brand, than ever before. We are also delighted to have crossed the mark of selling 15,000 units annually for the second consecutive year which underlines the trust and the loyalty of our customers across markets.” Mercedes-Benz is completing 25 years in India in 2019. “The year will be marked with some of the most significant product introductions which will redefine luxury motoring and chart new avenues for future mobility. ‘Best Never Rest’ will be MercedesBenz India’s motto for 2019, which signifies our relentless journey towards achieving operational excellence. This motto is based on the pillars of trust, respect and passion of our customers and employees since the past 25 years. As pioneers of luxury automobiles in India, we are preparing ourselves for the next phase of change in the auto industry and 2019 will be a key milestone for that journey towards future mobility,” he said.
Mercedes-Benz India’s sales momentum in 2018 was buoyed by a young and comprehensive product portfolio comprising the new generation cars, the sedans, the SUVs and the AMG cars. The Long Wheelbase E-Class sedan continued its sales success across markets and continued to remain the single highest selling model for the brand in January-December 2018 period. Similarly, the C-Class sedan and the CLA continue to remain on top of Mercedes-Benz customer preference, with the E-Class breaking a new record in the mentioned period.
The SUVs comprising the GLA, GLC, GLE and the GLS maintained their momentum, with the GLC remaining as the most popular SUV. Similarly, the high performance AMG models also sustained their momentum in the performance segment from last year, particularly spearheaded by the overwhelming response to the AMG E 63 S, the AMG GLE 43 Coupe and AMG GLC 43 coupe.
New products for 2019
In 2019, Mercedes-Benz will introduce some of the most fascinating and never seen before products in India. There will be an array of exciting AMG products that will make their India debut in 2019, redefining the ‘driving performance’ for the AMG enthusiasts. Mercedes-Benz India will also continue with its innovation and upscaling of its customer service initiatives and consolidate the existing service initiatives. The Three Pointed Star will not only expand its retail network in newer markets, but also enhance the luxury experience across its dealership through innovative luxury elements.
In its 25th Year in India, Mercedes-Benz will offer more than before memorable brand experiences for its discerning customers with significant focus on emerging Tier-II and Tier-III markets. Benchmarking experiential events with new innovations like Brand Tour, Service on Wheels, Service Clinics, LuxeDrive and AMG Emotional Tours will continue to remain the highlight of 2019.