Mercedes targeting sales of 3,000 cars in India this year

KOCHI: Automobile maker Mercedes Benz India on Monday said it is targeting sales of 3,000 cars across the country this year, intending to benefit from the growing demand for luxury cars.
    
Last year, the luxury car marker had sold 2,491 units in the country.
    
"Across India there is a significant demand for luxury cars and luxury products. For us this is very encouraging as it indicates that the economic development in the last few years is paying off," company's Managing Director and CEO Wilfred Aulbur told journalists here.
    
The company today inaugurated its Kerala dealer Rajasree Motors' new showroom at nearby Maradu.
    
Mercedes Benz India has sold 1,300 cars in the first four months of this year.
    
"While Delhi and Mumbai are the two big important markets, down south there is a close race between Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. There is a growing demand from cities like Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Madurai," Aulbur said.
    
The car marker has also evinced interest in the luxury bus segment and has partnered Sutlej Motors for creation of the bus body. The launch is scheduled in the second half of this year, he said.
    
To meet future requirements, Mercedes Benz is setting up a Rs 350 crore manufacturing facility at Chakan in Pune on a 100 acre area. It plans to manufacture 5,000 passenger cars and 1,200 commercial vehicles annually.
    
The Mercedes Benz locally manufactures S Class, E class and C class cars in India and imports Mercedes Benz S class, M class, CL class and popular SLK class and CLS class as completely built units.
   
"While Delhi and Mumbai are the two big important markets, down South there is a close race between Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. There is a growing demand from cities like Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Madurai," Aulbur said.
   
Mercedes Benz has also made its foray into the Commercial Vehicles segment in India with the 'Actros' truck. Targeted at mining applications in India, the 'Actros' has been assembled at the Mercedes Benz plant in Pune since november 2007.
   
The car marker has also evicnced interest in the luxury bus segment and has partnered Sutlej motors for the creation of the bus body. The launch is scheduled in the second half of this year, he said.
   
To meet future requirements, Mercedes Benz is creating a Rs 350 crore state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Hakan in Pune in a 100 acre area. It plans to manufacture 5000 passenger cars and 1200 commercial vehicles annually.
   
The Mercedes Benz locally manufacturs S Class, E class and C class cars in India. Other products are offered through the imported cars route as Completely Built Units. These include the Mercedes Benz S cars, M Class, CL class and the popular SLK class and CLS Class.
   
The CEO was here in connection with the inauguration of Mercedes Kerala dealer, Rajasree Motors, new state-of-the-art showroom at nearby Maradu which embodies the global standards of corproate identity and service of the Mercedes-Benz brand, Rajasree motors Chairman A Sreenivasan, said.