Mercedes-Benz India posts record sales for 2015

The Indian arm of German automaker Mercedes-Benz ended the year 2015 on an upbeat note as it registered its highest ever sales in the country. 

The carmaker announced today that it has sold a record 13,502 units in the year ending December 2015, up 32 percent as against 10,201 units sold in 2014. Mercedes-Benz also said that it would be adding 12 new products to its portfolio in 2016 and open 10 new showrooms. That apart, the carmaker will also focus on the Tier II and III markets to drive its growth.

Last year, the carmaker was on a product offensive as it launched 15 new products as a part of its '15 in 15' product strategy. The C-class emerged as the highest-selling car with more than 90 percent growth, replacing the E-class as the top seller in India. The carmaker’s SUV portfolio grew 100 percent followed by the AMG portfolio at 54 percent and sedans at 42 percent. Hatchbacks such as the A-class and B-class registered strong double digit growth, the carmaker said in a statement, adding that for the first time ever, Mercedes-Benz India retailed 503 units using digital platforms.

Commenting on the sales performance, Roland Folger, managing director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “2015 has been the most successful year for Mercedes-Benz as we registered our highest sales ever in India. This gives us confidence that 2016 will be an exciting year in many ways.”

The company witnessed strong growth even as unexpected challenges emerged on the sales front in the key markets of Chennai and Delhi, Folger added, referring to the severe floods in Chennai and the temporary ban on registration of diesel vehicles with engine capacities of over 2,000cc in Delhi.

2015 saw the German carmaker add a new production line at its Chakan plant in Pune to double its annual capacity to 20,000 units. Over the course of the year, it also announced plans to assemble the GLA SUV, the CLA sedan as well as the Mercedes-Maybach S 500 locally. 
Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz also increased its cumulative investment in its production facility to Rs 1,000 crores, the highest for any luxury car maker in India.

Globally, the carmaker pipped Audi for second place at the end of 2015, on the back of buoyant demand for the C-class as well as strong China sales, behind highest selling carmaker BMW. Mercedes-Benz sold a total of 18,71,511 vehicles globally (Audi: 18,03,250 units), a growth of 13.4 percent year on year, posting its fifth record year in a row.