German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz’s Indian arm has recorded a 37 percent year-on-year (YoY) uptick in FY23 by clocking sales of 16,497 units (FY22: 12,071). The FY23 performance is the luxury marque’s best-ever fiscal performance yet in India and is attributed to the continued sales momentum that comes on the back of growing demand for premium cars in the Indian market.

The company also achieved its best-ever quarterly sales in Q1 (January-March 2023) with sales touching 4,697 units to register a 17 percent YoY growth (Q1 CY2022: 4,022 units). Increased penetration of EVs (electric vehicles) with its three models – EQC, EQS and EQB – on sale in India, as well as a ‘strong desire’ for its products were the key enablers to the carmaker’s Q1 CY2023 numbers.

Doubling of top-end vehicle portfolio sales
According to Mercedes-Benz India, the highlight of the Q1 CY2023 sales was the notable growth of its top-end vehicle (TEV) portfolio which registered a 107 percent YoY growth. The TEV portfolio comprises flagship models like the Mercedes-Benz GLS, S-Class, EQS, AMG, S-Class Maybach, and GLS Maybach.

Mercedes’ core sedan portfolio, on the other hand, grew by a strong 27 percent, contributing 30 percent of the company’s Q1 CY2023 volumes. The C-Class and E-Class long wheelbase (LWB) are two of the key sedan offerings in its portfolio in India. While the E-Class LWB and GLS SUV remained two of the highest-selling models for Mercedes-Benz India in the first quarter of the ongoing calendar, the E-Class LWB is its highest-selling sedan, followed by the C-Class.

Commenting on the company’s sales performance, Santosh Iyer, Managing director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, said, “Our best-ever fiscal and Q1 performances underline the strong desirability for Mercedes-Benz products among the discerning Indian luxury car customers. We are thankful to our loyal customers for their relentless passion for Mercedes-Benz products and their continued trust in the brand.”

He added that the significant growth in the TEV segment, as well as the increased preference for their luxury EVs reflects the changing profile of Mercedes-Benz customers in India. “Our customers increasingly prefer to combine sustainability and luxury at the highest level. With this sales success, we continue our product offensive, introduce new initiatives, and remain obsessed with enhancing our customer experience, remaining the most desirable luxury brand in India,” he said.

Efforts to reduce waiting periods
With persistent hiccups in the global automotive supply chain, automakers continue to grapple with intermittent issues of chip supplies, as well as other parts. Mercedes-Benz India claims that it has put diligent efforts to be able to significantly reduce wait times on its offerings in India.

According to the company, the current waiting period on its A-Class, C-Class and E-Class sedans ranges from 0-3 months, while the GLE, GLS, and S-Class command a waiting time of anywhere between two and six months. For the three EVs – EQB, EQC, and EQS - the waiting period ranges from 2-6 months, while the flagship G-Wagon and GLS Maybach still continue to command a significant wait time of 8-16 months.

Mercedes-Benz India says that the seamless omnichannel experience created through its direct-to-customer sales format Retail of the Future (ROTF) resulted in an enhanced customer experience in FY23, and it aims to further unlock possibilities to continuously elevate both consumer and franchise partner experience in the coming years.

New flagship E Performance model introduced
On 11 April, Mercedes-Benz India introduced the German luxury car marque’s most-powerful production car built and sold under the Mercedes-AMG moniker. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 63 S E Performance features a 4.0-litre V8 engine coupled with twin turbochargers and an electric motor and has been introduced at a price tag of Rs 3.30 crore, ex-showroom, India.

The GT3 63 S E Performance will be uniquely handed over to customers by Mercedes’ Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. The car is the first performance hybrid by the German luxury brand and gets an ultra-light lithium-ion battery inspired by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 racing team. The hybrid powertrain generates a combined system output of 843hp and 1,470Nm of peak torque.

The car gets seven AMG Dynamic Select drive modes, and the electric drive's instant response at the rear axle, rapid torque build-up, and improved weight distribution makes for a dynamic driving experience, and the GT3 63 S E Performance can accelerate from 0 to 100kph in 2.9 seconds, with an electronically-limited top speed of 316kph.

According to Iyer, “With the launch of the AMG GT 63 E Performance, we continue to offer our discerning customers the most desirable top-end vehicles from our global portfolio. This exquisite performance machine is entirely developed by our engineers in Affalterbach, offering a fascinating level of driving dynamics, rightly bearing AMG’s F1 inspired new technology label, E Performance. With this vehicle, we are embracing new target groups for AMG. The E Performance will transition the performance DNA of AMG into an electrified future, firmly establishing Mercedes-AMG as the performance brand of the future for these customers.”