In a tough fight which comprises the big three German automakers, Mercedes-Benz has turned out to be the winner in 2015 while Audi stands at second position.
The luxury vehicle segment in India has been sky-rocketing since the past few years. Increasing income and demands of buyers has led to this segment seeing a massive surge in sales. The big players are constantly launching new products across a range of segments to cater to different needs of buyers while buyers themselves have a tough time choosing their vehicle just because the number of options available today is a lot more than what was available a few years back.
Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo are at the crux of this segment and each of them offers vehicles right from entry-level premium hatchbacks to full-blown SUVs. Volvo hasn’t been selling in high numbers while the case is similar with Jaguar Land Rover who hasn’t been able to sell in as good numbers as the big three Germans. However, leaving BMW far behind biting the dust, it is Audi and Mercedes-Benz that have really taken the rivalry to themselves and are having a tough battle.
In the year 2015, Mercedes-Benz overtook Audi in sales by selling 13,502 units which is much more than than 11,192 units that Audi sold in the same duration. Compared to 2014, Mercedes witnessed a 32% YoY growth which is excellent in this segment. In 2014, it was Audi who was leading the segment with 10,851 sales compared to Mercedes’ 10,201 units. Both the automakers launched a slew of products in the market last year but Mercedes had a winner with them with the new C-Class.
The SUV segment grew by 100% while the performance division AMG also witnessed a growth in sales by 54%. The sedan segment also witnessed a massive growth of 42%. Earlier it was the E-Class which was the top-selling sedan from the Mercedes stable but this year the C-Class came out as the highest selling sedan. Mercedes also sold 503 vehicles using digital platforms.
In comparison, Audi also started up with new initiatives like the Audi Mobile Terminal which caters to customers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The automaker launched 10 new products too. The new Q7 which was launched towards the end of the year has the ability to make or break Audi’s fortunes so 2016 is going to be an exciting year ahead for us to see who manages to outsell the other. More so because the entry-level luxury car segment that comprises of the Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 (next generation model incoming) will see a new rival enter in the form of the Jaguar XE while the Volvo S90 will take on the A6 and upcoming new E-Class.
