Mercedes-Benz India sold 13,231 units in the January to December 2016 period, amid adverse market challenges like the diesel ban for eight months in key Delhi NCR market, high excise duty, rising prices and demonetization effect in 2016.
In the same period last year(January to December 2015), the brand sold 13,502 units in the country, thus crossing the 13,000 mark in annual sales for two years in a row.
Strong growth came from the SUV segment which grew by 20% in 2016; with the GLE emerging as the highest selling SUV in Mercedes-Benz’s portfolio followed by the GLA and GLS.
The segment which witnessed the highest growth was the AMG and Dream Car portfolio. The C-Class sedan remained the highest selling Mercedes-Benz model for the second year in a row, replacing the E-Class sedan as the top seller, since 2015.
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December 2016 sales for the brand were also higher than the same month last year, despite demonetization effect.
Roland Folger, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “Clocking more than 13,000 for two consecutive years is an achievement for us, given the uncertainties and challenges we faced last year. We are very satisfied with our strategy, which has been bearing fruits and makes us the most preferred luxury car brand for the discerning customers. Today, Mercedes-Benz, despite facing market challenges, has been able to retain the impeccable trust of the customers. Our strong sales momentum in 2016 underlines this customer trust on a winning brand, which strengthened the brand’s position and market share, more than ever before. Our unmatched product strategy, network expansion drive, comprehensive financial programmes, supported by innovative and value-driven service excellence initiatives, buoyed our momentum.”
Mr. Folger further elaborated, “2016 was a challenging year, but our sales achievement makes us bullish for 2017 and gives us confidence for the mid to long-term growth prospect of the market. We are hopeful of a stable business environment and long-term roadmap for the luxury auto industry in India, which has the potential to grow and contribute more to the economy. In 2017, we will continue our winning philosophy with ‘ONE TEAM, ONE GOAL’ approach, which aims at creating the best customer experience, through a range of varied customer centric initiatives.”