German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz, which has been on a roll in the Indian market, has announced its latest sales figures. And it's a winner in both the 2015 calendar year and 2015-16 fiscal year.

After having posted a sharp 32.4% increase in calendar year 2015 sales (13,506) units, the company has announced its best ever sales in India – best fiscal year (13,558 units/+21%), best quarter (3,622 units/+1.6%) and best monthly sales ever (March 2016). With this, Mercedes-Benz India is the sole luxury carmaker to clock more than 13,500 unit sales both in the calendar and fiscal year. 

Importantly, the Q1 sales momentum is significant against the backdrop of the diesel ban in the key Delhi and NCR market, successive price hikes and a lack of incentives for the automotive sector in the FY2016-17 Union Budget.

With these Q1 numbers, it is amply clear that the company's de-growth in the Delhi-NCR market has been compensated by the strong demand from other regions in the country. 

E-Class best-seller in Q1

The E-Class, which is celebrating 20 years in India, is the highest selling car model for Mercedes-Benz in the first quarter of 2016. It is was closely followed by the C-Class which remained a significant volume contributor in Q1 2016. Apart from the sedans, the SUV portfolio comprising the GLA, GLE and the GL also grew in Q1 2016 while the new-generation cars remained steady contributors.

Commenting on the sales achievements, Roland Folger, managing director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said: “It is a significant achievement for us, as we have maintained our growth momentum in Q1 2016, despite facing multiple market challenges. We have been able to compensate the negative sales impact in the Delhi and NCR market, with a strong double-digit growth achieved in most other markets across the country.

"This strongly underlines the fact that luxury car buyers increasingly prefer Mercedes-Benz. It underpins as well that the loyalty of our discerning patrons is with the brand. Our product drive across the spectrum, the tailor-made finance programmes, the unique service initiatives have all been well appreciated, resulting in our historic sales success. Pursuing our ‘go to customer’ strategy we presented world-class retail facilities to our patrons in both new and existing markets. We also remained the luxury car brand with the most comprehensive retail network. This network drive enhanced our growth story even further with new customers opting for a Mercedes-Benz.”

Folger elaborated, “We are confident of maintaining this profitable and sustainable growth in India, as we will be introducing some of the most awaited products from our global portfolio in the coming months. The success of the first quarter, despite facing significant sales challenges, gives us the confidence that our strategy for 2016 is on the right track and bearing fruit.”

Also read: Mercedes-Benz clocks best-ever sales globally for Q1 and March