Lamborghini finds more first-generation, non-metro buyers
NEW DELHI: Italian supercar maker Lamborghini is witnessing the emergence of a new class of buyers in India—the first-generation entrepreneur who doesn’t live in a big metro.
The change is noteworthy since luxury carmakers typically see their clientele from top business families in big cities, or are celebrities with niche interests in super cars.
Lamborghini’s most Indian customers were third-generation entrepreneurs till five years ago, India head Sharad Aggarwal said. “Now, we are seeing first generation entrepreneurs, and women come and buy Lamborghinis. Our demand is also not restricted to the metros; so, we run a programme where we reach out to tier I and tier II cities and meet with people who have the passion and dream to own a Lamborghini. For example, today you can see a Lamborghini in Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Bhopal, Lucknow, Siliguri and Shillong. We are adding small cities like these and expanding our geographical reach every month,” Aggarwal said in an interview. The Lamborghini price range in India starts at ₹3 crore for its SUV Urus and crosses ₹5 crore for the Huracan.
The company, part of the Volkswagen Group, has sold a total of 400 cars in India so far, since its entry in 2012. Last year, it sold 69 super sports cars, up 80% from the previous year.
India’s super luxury segment is still very niche and does not reflect its potential, Aggarwal added. “When we look at the buyer profile, we find that in India, we have one of the most evolved buyers who are at par with any target market in the world”, he said. The growth in India’s luxury car market has not been consistent,” he added.
“What we mean by that is, when they want to buy a Lamborghini, they want to create a Lamborghini which is unique to their personality, their lifestyle, and they want the car to be identifiable by their name. We see customers invest up to 25% of the car value on personalization”, Aggarwal added.
Customization is a key element of the car shopping experience in super cars.
The brand recently presented the limited edition Aventador 780-4 Ultimae in India, which gets an allotment of one car out of the 250 that the automaker has decided to produce, and also the last of the brand’s storied V12 engines. Sales from non-metro cities contribute a significant double-digit chunk of volumes to the Italian brand in India, up from single digits five years ago.
However, taxation as high as over 150% on the value of ultraluxurious cars means buyers have to pay much more to buy one in India, than other countries with relatively lower taxes.
While Lamborghini sees buyers as young as 25 to 45-50 years, models like the SUV Urus are also expanding the buyer net to include older buyers, who find the car more functional and family and city-friendly, he said.