NEW DELHI: Mercedes-Benz on Thursday drove in one in every of India’s most-expensive electric vehicles, bringing within the inexperienced model of its iconic SUV, the G-Class, priced at Rs 3 crore (ex-showroom).
The firm, which sold practically 20,000 vehicles final yr at a development of 12%, mentioned it was already stocked out of the brand new electric G (G580) and can begin taking contemporary orders solely from the second half of the yr. A complete of 85 vehicles alloted for India have been sold out.
Mercedes, which leads the luxurious automobile market in India forward of rivals equivalent to BMW, Audi and Jaguar Land Rover, mentioned demand within the section nonetheless stays wholesome and is specifically robust within the top-end automobiles (TEV) class, which contains of vehicles priced upwards of Rs 1.5 crore.
“While the entry luxury market was nearly flat, we saw a robust 20%-plus growth in the TEV segment, where we also sell the AMG range of vehicles,” Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO of Mercedes India instructed TOI after launching the G580 EV. “One out of every four cars that we sold was a TEV. We are hopeful that the momentum will be maintained this year too, and sales will be healthy. In fact, we start the new year with a strong 2,000-odd car order bank. This gives us a lot of confidence to move into 2025.”
The firm has been specializing in pushing the gross sales of EVs, and now has seven inexperienced vehicles in its portfolio. (*3*)
The firm plans to roll out eight new fashions this yr, together with electrics, to push the gross sales of greens in addition to the core internal-combustion engine (ICE) portfolio.
The Pune-headquartered firm plans to boost its gross sales community within the nation with 20 new shops deliberate this yr. It at present has presence throughout 125 places in 50 cities.
Iyer mentioned the corporate’s franchise companions have dedicated to take a position over Rs 450 crore for the retail push. “The investment will go not only into new outlets, but in also modernising the current set-up.”
The firm goes to smaller cities and cities to create new gross sales potential. “We are moving closer to customers. We are coming up in new markets like Jammu, Patna, Kanpur, and Agra.”
