Hyderabad: German carmaker Mercedes Benz on February 12 said it may unveil the all-new Mercedes-AMG GT sports car this year as part of its plan to launch 15 new cars in 2015. "We have a new hero in our global sports car portfolio. It's Mercedes AMG GT. It is not yet launched here. We have launched this vehicle in April in Europe. This car is one of the 15 (cars) we are planning to launch in India this year," Mercedes-Benz India, Managing Director and CEO, Eberhard Kern told a press conference.
Meanwhile, the company today launched Mercedes Benz C-class sedan diesel version in the Hyderabad market. He said the company also plans to add 15 new dealers to the existing network of 69 located in 38 cities. "What we see is a double digit growth in India in terms of sales," he said when asked about the outlook.
Sales grew by 13 per cent to 10,201 units last year when the all India luxury car market grew by 3 to 4 per cent, he added. Replying to a query, he said the appreciating dollar will have an impact on the cost structure. However, for Mercedes Benz the situation is 'under control'.
Last year, luxury car market in India was at 32,000 units, up 1,000 units against the previous year, he said. "We expect our new generation car (NGC) volumes to grow by 50 per cent in 2015 and CLA and GLA will be playing a major role in this growth. We are glad to witness new young customers joining the Mercedes-Benz brand and that excites us," he said.
The company's NGC portfolio comprises luxury hatchbacks A-Class and B-Class, along with the sedan CLA and sports utility vehicle GLA, which are helping the luxury car maker to bring in more customers to its fold.
The company, which launched its latest NGC model 'CLA-Class' in India last month priced at in the range of Rs 31.5-35.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), said the model has a waiting period of one month to 45 days across regions. The first month allocation of the CLA-Class is already sold out.
"The strategy of Mercedes Benz India remains clear — continue the growth curve for sustainable and profitable business in India," it said, adding the company is expected to post another double digit growth in 2015 as the luxury market in India is set to pick up, albeit slowly.
