2015 started off on a positive note for Mercedes-Benz, as the company's domestic sales saw a 25 per cent bump in numbers, as compared to January 2014. With this great start, Mercedes-Benz is looking forward to another year of double-digit growth in 2015, riding on the increasing popularity of its new generation cars. The German manufacturer is contemplating a 50 per cent rise in the sales of its new generation cars, which have been serving as the new entry-level offerings of their respective segments.
Last month, Mercedes-Benz announced its strongest sales year in the company’s history by posting double digit growth figures for the second consecutive year, in India. The German manufacturer sold 10,201 units in the last year, registering a 13 per cent jump in sales figures over 2013. While the company hasn’t released a model-wise breakdown of the numbers, reports suggest that at least 20 per cent of the total sales can be attributed to the company’s new generation cars.
Speaking about the rise in demand for their new cars and the role in the company's growth, Mr Eberhard Kern, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, "The contribution of both the CLA and the GLA has exceeded our expectations and has contributed to 25 per cent increase in our January 2015 volumes compared to corresponding month in 2014. We expect our NGC volumes to grow by 50 per cent in 2015, and CLA and GLA will be playing a major role in this growth. Both these new generation cars have been able to cater to customer requirements successfully. We are glad to witness new young customers joining the Mercedes-Benz brand and that excites us. "
For 2015, Mercedes-Benz has formulated a 15 in 15 strategy under which the company will be launching 15 new models, of which two have already hit our showrooms. The company’s current line-up of the new generation cars is made up of the A-Class and B-Class hatchbacks, along with the entry-level sedan and crossover - CLA and GLA. With the C-Class sedan moving up the segment as an executive sedan, the CLA was recently introduced in India as the new entry-level sedan for the brand. Despite being launched here less than a month ago, Mercedes-Benz has already run out of the first month’s allocation and the sedan currently enjoys a waiting period stretching from one month to 45 days.
