Mercedes-Benz India sales rises 1.4 per cent to 15,538 units in 2018

German auto major Mercedes-Benz Wednesday reported 1.4 per cent increase in its sales in India with a record 15,538 units in 2018, retaining its leadership position in the luxury segment for the fourth year in a row. The company had sold 15,330 units in 2017, Mercedes-Benz India said in a statement. Sales in 2018 were driven by an all-round performance across segments from the new-generation cars, sedans, SUVs and the AMG portfolio, it added. Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Martin Schwenk said, "We are satisfied with our sales performance in 2018 despite facing strong macro-economic headwinds in H2, resulting in low consumer sentiment that posed significant sales challenges."

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However, "we made a strong comeback in the Q4 period and were able to achieve a year-on-year growth," he added.

The company's rival BMW India had posted 13 per cent increase in car sales to 11,105 units in 2018, compared with 9,800 units in the previous year, while Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover reported 16.23 per cent increase in its 2018 sales at 4,596 units as against 3,954 units in 2017.

Volvo Auto India posted 30 per cent increase in its sales at 2,638 units in 2018 as against 2,029 units in the previous year. Another major player in the segment, Audi, is yet to declare its 2018 sales.

On the outlook for the new year, Schwenk said, ?2019 is going to be an important year for Mercedes-Benz India, as we reach the milestone of '25 years of Mercedes-Benz in India'. The year will be marked with some of the most significant product introductions which will redefine luxury motoring and chart new avenues for future mobility."

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The company will introduce in over ten new products, including an array of products from the performance brand AMG, this year.