Out of the luxury carmakers currently present on our shores, Mercedes-Benz was the first to identify the potential of the Indian market and set its shop here in 1994. And, building on its first comer’s advantage, the three-pointed star from Germany has been spearheading the game in the luxury segment. Since 2015, it has been pipping its direct rivals to claim the title of being the largest luxury carmaker in India. And in CY (calendar year) 2018, it did the same again!

From January to December 2018, Mercedes-Benz India retailed a total of 15,538 units. Compare that with the 15,330 units it sold over the same period in 2017, and you’ll see that the automaker grew by approximately 1.4 per cent. What else can we deduce from that performance? Mercedes-Benz India clocked 15,000+ sales twice in two years, and 2018 was its best-ever year in terms of sales.

Amongst the most preferred models out of the large Mercedes-Benz India portfolio were the C-Class and the CLA. The Indian arm of the German carmaker also reported that the Long Wheelbase version of the E-Class retained its title of being the single highest-selling model in CY 2018. Out of its SUV portfolio, which consists of the GLA, GLC, GLE and the GLS, it was the GLC that remained the most popular amongst buyers. The company also reported that its performance-oriented models, such as the AMG E 63 S, AMG GLE 43 Coupé and the AMG GLC 43 Coupé performed better than expectations.

Martin Schwenk

In 2019, Mercedes-Benz India will be celebrating its silver jubilee. Apart from introducing newer products, which includes the new GLE, the second-gen CLA and the V-Class, the company will also be investing in expanding its reach to more customers, especially in tier II and tier III cities.