New Delhi:
German luxury car maker Mercedes Benz India said it was bullish on the Indian market as sales had surpassed 10,000 units annually for the fifth year in a row. In a move to strengthen its footprint in the market, the company had recently set up its largest integrated 3S (Sales, Service and Spares) dealership in Tamil Nadu in partnership with Sundaram Motors at Ambattur in the city.
Sundaram Motors has been associated with Mercedes-Benz for over 18 years through its nine outlets across South India. “Mercedes-Benz is bullish in India and as a market leader our endeavour continues toward growing the market, create new customer base and keep our customers excited with the brand”, company Managing Director and CEO, Martin Schwenk said.
“Mercedes-Benz has a very strong presence in Chennai and the appointment of Sundaram Motors is further going to strengthen our market presence”, he said. Chennai was one of the key markets and continues to spearhead the sales contribution,he said. Noting that the company has posted a strong performance in September, he said, “we see clear signs of recovery and are the only luxury car brand to have already crossed the 10,000 units sales milestone in the first week of October”.
“With a strong product offensive line-up for the next quarter, we are confident of maintaining the growth momentum by leveraging the upbeat customer sentiment”, he said. On the setting up of largest facility, Sundaram Motors Executive Director Sharath Vijayaraghavan said, “As long standing partners of Mercedes-Benz, we are delighted with the possibilities of this market and neighbouring towns”.
“We are dedicated towards our customers and the inauguration of one of Chennai’s largest integrated 3S luxury dealership is a strong reiteration of our commitment to them and to Mercedes-Benz”, he said. Mercedes-Benz India had witnessed a fall of 16 per cent to 9,915 units in the January-September period, as against 11,789 units in the first nine months of 2018. The company, however, said it has already crossed 10,000 units in the first week of October and expects sales to rise slightly in the full year.
Recently, Mercedes-Benz G 350d has been launched in India at the price of Rs 1.5 Crore (ex-showroom, India). On the competition front in India, the newly-launched Mercedes-Benz G 350d is up against the Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne, and the Land Rover Defender.
Mercedes-Benz G 350d comes equipped with the 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder diesel that churns out 282 bhp and 600 Nm of peak torque.
The engine is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. According to a report of NDTV’s carandbike, the G 350d is a off-roader and comes with three differential locks for the front and rear axle, as well as a centre differential. Also, there is a permanent All-Wheel Drive and gas filled shock absorbers.
(With inputs from PTI)
