India’s largest luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz, continued its lead in the Indian luxury car segment for the fourth year in a row by achieving its best ever sales number for the period January-December 2018. By registering a record sale of 15,538 units in the January to December 2018 period amidst strong macro-economic headwinds in H2, Mercedes-Benz sales volumes grew by 1.4%. Mercedes-Benz firmly maintained its strong lead on the dynamic Indian luxury car industry in 2018.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Martin Schwenk, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said,
We are satisfied with our sales performance in 2018 despite facing strong macro-economic headwinds in H2, resulting in low consumer sentiment that posed significant sales challenges. We however made a strong comeback in the Q4 period 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.
2019 is going to be an important year for Mercedes-Benz India, as we reach the milestone of ‘25 years of Mercedes-Benz in India’. 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 Mercedes-Benz 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.
Martin Schwenk elaborated.
Sales success of the new Long Wheelbase E-Class Sedan continues:
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 spear headed by the overwhelming response to the AMG E 63 S, the AMG GLE 43 Coupe and AMG GLC 43 coupe.
Motto for 2019: Best Never Rest ‘Best Never Rest’ signifies the philosophy that Mercedes-Benz will carry forward the rich learnings and experiences of the past 25 years, as the brand embarks on a new journey towards reinventing itself for the future. As the inventors of automobile globally, Mercedes-Benz is highly confident of leading the luxury automotive industry, which it pioneered in India, by not resting on the past laurels and accolades but by striving towards achieving excellence in the future.
By bringing together the learnings of 25 years in India, utilizing the present strengths and readiness for future, Mercedes-Benz will continue to commit to customer excellence and centricity. It will strive to sustain all the endeavours to add value through – future ready products, cutting-edge technology, embracing digitization to enhance systems and processes. Mercedes-Benz India will continue to innovate through unparalleled customer service and develop its people and partners, which makes it an iconic brand and an employer of choice in India with its focus on people.
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.
(All figures of Mercedes-Benz India are that of retail sales.)
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