Beginning the new year with the launch of the facelifted GLS SUV, Mercedes-Benz has announced 2023 was its best-ever year in India so far, in terms of overall sales. Between January and December last year, Mercedes-Benz India sold 17,408 cars and SUVs – a notable growth of 10 per cent over calendar year 2022 (15,822 units). This growth was bolstered by a strong sales performance in the final three months of 2023, which Mercedes-Benz India says was also its best-ever Q4 showing till date.
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Of the over 17,000 units sold, Mercedes’ SUV line-up constituted about 55 per cent, with close to 10,000 customers opting for an SUV. The sedan range – comprising the A-Class, C-Class, E-Class and S-Class made up the remaining 45 per cent of sales, with just under 8,000 units sold. The carmaker says demand remained strong in all categories of vehicles it retails, which it dubs ‘Entry’, ‘Core’ and ‘Top-End Vehicles’ (TEV).
The second-gen GLC helped drive Mercedes' SUV sales to nearly 10,000 units in 2023.
Unsurprisingly, the long-wheelbase E-Class sedan remained the single highest-selling Mercedes model in India. As for the SUV line-up, demand grew on the back of the introduction of the second-generation GLC and the facelifted GLE, alongside the GLA and GLS.
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The electric vehicle portfolio – comprising the EQS sedan and the EQB and EQE SUVs – made up about four per cent of total volumes, with just under 700 units being retailed, marking a three-fold growth over calendar year 2022.
Battery electric vehicles constituted four per cent of Mercedes' total sales in 2023.
At the launch of the GLS facelift, Mercedes-Benz India also announced it will invest a further Rs 200 crore in 2024 towards its manufacturing operations, digitisation of manufacturing processes and new product start-ups, bringing its total investment in the country till date to Rs 3,000 crore. The company has also confirmed it will establish its presence in 10 new cities, and inaugurate 20 workshops spread across Jammu, Kannur, Kottayam, Udaipur, Amritsar, Agra, Valsad, Patna, this year.
Mercedes will launch over 12 models in India in 2024, with a majority of those set to be TEVs, and three new battery electric vehicles.
