Mercedes-Benz has posted its best Q1 in India, selling 4556 units between January and March 2018, registering a growth of 24.8 per cent. As if that wasn’t enough, the company also had its best ever FY with a growth of 22.5 per cent — strong sales of 16,236 units. The German carmaker also mentions that to further the success, it will launch 10 new models in 2018 (calendar year).
There has been an increasing demand for Mercedes SUVs, primarily led by the wonderful GLC. The luxury saloon market also witnessed the LWB E-Class matching the demand of its smaller C-Class. The company says that younger customers’ preference for the AMG and Dream Cars line up added to the demand.
Mercedes-Benz India’s MD and CEO, Roland Folger said, ““2018 began with a positive note for the brand, though the spike in Q1 sales can be attributed to the advancement of sales due to the impending price correction, triggered primarily by the increase in basic custom’s duty. It might be a challenge to sustain this momentum in the coming quarters and we are cautiously optimistic. As the luxury industry volumes are comparatively low, the focus should remain on helping the industry grow by creating demand. A rise in demand would translate in increased production and thus, lead to significant revenue generation, and would support the ‘Make in India’ initiative. We are extremely excited to witness the strong performance of our mainstay models, the C-, E-, S-Class and the SUVs. Particularly the success of the Long Wheelbase E-Class underlines the aptness of our decision to launch the car in India. We will continue with our product offensive and introduce a host of new products across segments and body shapes, to keep the consumer’s interest. Qualitative expansion in our network spread, coupled with service differentiation driven by our cost of ownership measures and availability of tailor made financial programmes, will continue to add value to our efforts of creating delightful customer experience. It is assuring to witness growth across the portfolio which reiterates that luxury car buyers’ in India continues to appreciate our ‘Best Keeps Leading’ initiatives.”
