Driven by a rise in sales during the current year, German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz said on Thursday that the company is expecting a growth in sales of around 8-10 per cent in the next few years. This comes at a time when the company is ready to surpass the previous highest sales of 15,538 vehicles (2018) in 2022. During the first half, the company sold 7,600 units. It already has an order bank of around 7,000 vehicles. In 2021, the company sold 11,242 vehicles.
The company said that while the first quarter numbers were at the pre-pandemic levels, it saw a growth of 34 per cent in sales compared to the April to June period of 2020.
German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India on Thursday launched the imported version of its new generation flagship sedan S-Class with a price starting at Rs 2.17 crore while it prepares to introduce a locally-produced variety of the model in the fourth quarter this year. The new 7th generation S-Class comes in two variants -- diesel S 400d 4MATIC priced at Rs 2.17 crore and petrol S 450 4MATIC tagged at Rs 2.19 crore.
German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz on Tuesday said it has commenced the local production of its AMG portfolio in India, and rolled out its first-ever locally made GLC 43 4MATIC Coupe. The company rolled out AMG GLC 43 4MATIC Coupe, tagged at Rs 76.7 lakh (ex-showroom), from its Pune facility on Tuesday.
The Three-Pointed Star also unveiled its 2021 motto coined as 'Reimagining Excellence', which aims at making the brand more desirable and drawing customers closer.
After incurring losses for two years on the trot, German luxury automotive company Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (abbreviated as BMW) has posted net profit in India in 2021-22 (FY22), primarily due to high demand of its top-end vehicles, cost optimisation, and price hikes, Business Standard has learnt. BMW India said in its FY22 financial statement that the company is focusing on growth and achieving profitability through induction of new products in the market, strengthening its dealership network, and improving customer satisfaction while reducing costs. The company posted its highest-ever revenue in India in FY22 at Rs 4,365.8 crore.
German premium car maker Mercedes-Benz on Wednesday reported nearly 100 per cent growth in sales at 4,101 units in the domestic market in September of the current year. Mercedes-Benz India had sold 2,058 cars in the Indian market in the July-September period of 2020. The strong rebound in sales particularly in Q3 2021 retail, reflects the continuous V-shaped recovery witnessed since the pandemic affected second quarter (April-June), owing to the return of economic activities, a stable economy at large and an overall positive market outlook.
The Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC is the first-ever SUV offering in the company's ultra-luxurious 'Mercedes-Maybach' range. It is the only second Maybach model to be rolled out in the Indian market, following the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Monday launched its all-new performance car 'AMG GLE 63 S 4MATIC+ Coupe' priced at Rs 2.07 crore (ex-showroom all India). The model is powered by a 4-litre engine, which produces a power of 612 hp. It is the 12th model available in India from the AMG performance car range of the company, Mercedes-Benz India said in a statement.
Carmakers Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Renault, Kia India and MG Motor on Wednesday announced plans to hike vehicle prices from January to partially offset the impact of rising input costs. They join the likes of market leader Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors, which have also made the year-end announcements to raise prices from next month. Audi India said it will increase prices of its entire model range by up to 1.7 per cent, while Mercedes-Benz India noted it will hike the prices by up to 5 per cent from January 1.
The first all electric Mercedes AMG launched in India
The company now offers seven different models of SUVs in India compared to two models a decade ago and contributes around 40 percent of sales up from 30 percent a couple years ago.
The German luxury automaker has already seen its online traffic increase 10-fold this year. Though that has not always translated into sales, Mercedes-Benz says it is continuing to build on what it calls its "touch-free" experience to stay plugged into its consumer base. Under the used car business, more than 150 cars were sold online in January and February.
The new car market is estimated at around 30,000 units a year in sales in a good year, whereas the used car market for luxury vehicles is estimated at around 60,000 cars annually.
Mercedes-Benz joins the connected cars revolution with the launch of their app -- 'Mercedes Me'.
Equipped with a host of features including seats with massaging function, climate control, remote controlled door, 15 speaker surround sound system, the car also has agility control suspension system.
Mercedes-Benz India, BMW India and Audi India have lined up over 50 new model launches as they seek to recoup previous year's loss in volumes, reports Shally Seth Mohile.
The sharp increase in commodity prices on account of the Russia-Ukraine war has put automakers in a fix. After the frequent price hikes in the current fiscal, manufacturers fear that any more price increases may further dent the already weak demand in certain segments. "We have taken several hikes and cannot immediately do it again. "We will have to closely watch the situation and act accordingly," said an official at an auto firm, declining to be identified. Even for companies like Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, which has had a strong volume run and a robust order book, passing on the entire costs has been tough.
Rediff.com presents the winning photographs. Feast your eyes!
If one leaves aside 2016, when sales declined 4.68 per cent, the pace of growth in 2018 is the slowest in a decade, according to IHS Markit, a sales forecast and market research firm.
Automakers are caught in a chicken-and-egg situation: Prices have to come down if volumes are to increase, and volumes won't increase unless prices come down, notes Pavan Lall.
Car deliveries during the nine-day period saw sharp year-on-year (double-digit increase for most automobile companies.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday unveiled a Rs 39.45 lakh crore Budget with a view to fire up the key engines of the economy to sustain a world-beating recovery from the pandemic. This was Sitharaman's fourth Budget. While the taxpayers were left in the lurch, once again, was she able to cheer Corporate India?
Increasing the duties on auto parts and putting an additional cess on petrol and diesel could drive up costs of vehicles, specially where volumes are low and localisation is not viable.
Equipped with the ' Mercedes Me' connect feature which makes this one too a connected car, this is the 10th 'Made in India' product from Mercedes and comes in two engine variants. The 300d 4MATIC diesel and the 300 4MATIC petrol, both BS VI versions. The diesel is an in-line 4-cylinder engine that churns out 245 hp power and 500 Nm of peak torque, and can do a 0-100 km/h in 6.6 seconds, while the GLC 300 Coup in-line petrol engine produces 258 hp and 370 Nm of torque and can do 0-100km/h in just 6.3 seconds!
'The G-Class has been unparalleled and unrivalled around the world, since its inception in 1979. It is the benchmark among luxury off-road vehicles' Martin Schwenk, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said at the much-awaited launch.
This number is more than the total number (1,071) of electric cars sold in India in calendar year 2019. MG has stopped registrations for the ZS and will cater to 2,409 of the total bookings.
'Even during the lockdown, we have received many online enquiries and subsequent bookings.'
While home-grown firms like Tata and Mahindra have been actively participating in the government's e-mobility mission, by launching electrified versions of their existing models, the global firms believe electric is not the best solution for a country where the primary source of power generation is coal, and where infrastructure is a big impediment.
A study by second-hand car dealer CARS 24 showed 42 per cent of the consumer feel the need for a car to travel safely now. Those who used cabs to commute before the pandemic want to buy a car for the family and a two-wheeler for shorter runs.
New Creta, petrol Vitarra Brezza.. A quick look at what went down at Auto Expo Day 2.