Mercedes unit sales up 47% during first 10 months

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Kolkata, Nov 1 : Mercedes Benz India has registered an impressive 47% growth in car sales for the first 10 months of the current calendar year, according to a top official of the company, even as car sales in the country have been hit by the financial turmoil.

Sanjiv Sahajwala, director (sales and marketing), said, "Our sales were not affected by the economic slowdown. This calendar year will be good for us."

The company sold 3,141 cars the 10 months and 2,141 during the year-ago period.

2008 has been challenging for Mercedes in India with BMW and Audi making their presence felt. According to industry estimates, almost 6,500 cars in the luxury category were sold during the 10 months.

Mercedes almost doubled sale of its C-class to 1500 units during the period this year as compared with 740 during the same period last year. S-class, the leading luxury vehicle from the Mercedes Benz stable in India, and E-class followed it.

North India contributes almost 40% towards sales, west 30%, south 27% and the east a mere 3%. "But sales in the east have started looking up," said Sahajwala.

The company, with more than 50% share in the luxury car market, is shifting its plant to Chakan from Chikhali (both places are in Maharashtra). "The new facility will have the capacity to produce 5,000 cars," he said.