Mercedes India ends 2014 with strongest ever annual sales of over 10,000 units

Despite a challenging year for the auto industry, Mercedes-Benz India had ended 2014 with its strongest ever annual retail sales exceeding 10,000 units, The Hindu reported.

Sales growth came in at 13 per cent with 10,201 units sold in 2014 against 9,003 units in 2013.

This was the second year that the brand had recorded a double-digit growth in sales in India.

Merc was the second luxury brand to achieve annual sales of over 10,000 units in the domestic market while German rival Audi was the first brand to achieve the sales figure of a little over 10,000 units in 2013. According to Mercedes, the launch of 10 new models and opening of 14 new dealer outlets, the highest ever in one single year, were key drivers for the strong volume growth during the calendar year.

Mercedes-Benz India managing director and CEO Eberhard Kern told The Hindu that the offensive strategy in 2013 and the 'excellence' strategy in 2014 helped the company gain new customer base and entry into new markets.

The year 2014 had been the most successful year of Mercedes-Benz in India so far, and the 'Year of Excellence' saw the company launch 10 new products, which created a new excitement in the luxury car market, he said
Mercedes-Benz, reports say, is continuing with its product offensive.

The year got off with the launch of benchmark of modern luxury and Mercedes-Benz's flagship model, the S-Class, which was a huge success. The sedan portfolio gained further strength with the launch of the E350 CDI in the second half of the year offering customers more options at the top end of the most preferred luxury sedan in India.

With the launch of the all new C-Class, which made an earlier than planned market entry, the company ended the year on a high.

In addition to the strong demand for the youngest sedan portfolio, the company also saw strong growth momentum of SUVs as the segment remained the fastest growing in the company's portfolio. All products, including the ML-Class, GL-Class as also the recently launched stylish luxury SUVGLA-Class, saw appreciable demand throughout the year.

Additionally, with the success story of the New Generation Cars consisting of the A-Class and the B-Class, the company notched a volume increase as well.