Mercedes posts record sales in India in FY16 at 13,558 units

New Delhi: German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Wednesday reported its best ever sales in a fiscal in India at 13,558 units, up 20.91 per cent from the previous year.

The company had posted sales of 11,213 units in 2014-15, which was the previous best, Mercedes-Benz India said in a statement.

For the January to March 2016 period, the company said it posted its best ever quarterly sales at 3,622 units, as against 3,566 units in the year-ago period, up 1.6 per cent.

The Q1 sales momentum achieved is significant against the backdrop of the ban on 2,000 cc above diesel engines in the key Delhi and NCR market, successive price hikes and a lack of incentives for the automotive sector in the Union Budget, it added.

Commenting on the company's sales performance, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director & CEO Roland Folger said: "It is a significant achievement for us, as we have maintained our growth momentum in Q1 2016, despite facing multiple market challenges."

The firm has been able to compensate the negative sales impact in the Delhi and NCR market, with a strong double digit growth achieved in most other markets across the country, he added.

The company's network expansion drive also enhanced its growth story even further with new customers opting for a Mercedes-Benz, Folger said.

The sales growth in the January-March 2016 quarter was led by the E-Class, celebrating 20 years in India, the company said, while the C-Class also was a significant volume contributor.

Rival Jaguar Land Rover India also reported 45 per cent for the three month period, crossing 1,000 units, on the back of robust demand for sales of its recently launched new models such as all-new Jaguar XE and Discovery Sport.