According to data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), BMW has sold 1097 units in the month of July. In the same month, Mercedes-Benz reported sales of 1,019 units. This means, BMW has surpassed the 3-pointed star as the top seller in the luxury segment in India.
EVs leading the show for BMW
BMW’s numbers represent a y-o-y growth of 18 percent. Meanwhile Mercedes-Benz’s 1,019 units were a 4.5 percent decline compared to the same last year.
BMW sold 92 electric vehicles in July. This is due to having the largest portfolio of EVs on sales in India. All BMW EVs are priced upwards of INR 1 crore. Meanwhile, rival Mercedes could manage only 34 units in the EV segment. In June 2023, Volvo surpassed Mercedes in luxury segment EV sales.
That said, Mercedes was the clear segment leader in the luxury segment as seen in the Jan-June segment. The company sold 8,528 units in comparison to BMW’s 5,476 units.
Luxury car sales on the rise in India
Meanwhile, there is a strong demand for cars in the luxury segment. Be it conventional ICE cars or new-age electrics. Infact, the demand for this premium segment has increased to not just pre-covid levels but also surpassed it.
For 2023, it is estimated that the retail luxury car segment will close in over 47,000 units. Furthermore, there is long waiting for some models which can go as high as 6-10 months in some cases. Many of the car allocations for India are sold out for the year.
Mercedes Benz India has achieved year-on-year growth of 13 per cent in the January to June 2023 period, marking its best-ever half-yearly sales. Despite the absence of the popular GLC SUV, the company sold 8,528 units during this period.
Key highlights for Mercedes Benz in the first half of the year included the strong demand for the GLS, S-Class, S-Class Maybach, GLS Maybach, and AMG G 63. The LWB E-Class remained the highest-selling model, the GLE was the top-selling SUV, and the new C-Class contributed significant volumes to the company’s overall performance.
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