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Luxury car segment in India, which currently accounts for 1 per cent of the overall car sales in the country, is like a growing startup and it could become decent in size only when it crosses the 5 per cent mark, Audi India head Balbir Dhillon said on Monday. He also said that the company is expecting to do better in sales performance this year after witnessing a dip in volumes in the previous year on account of supply chain issues. Audi India on Monday launched a refreshed version of its RS Q8 performance SUV in India, priced at Rs 2.49 crore. "The luxury car industry in India is like a startup which is still growing but it's growing for sure but it is still very small. I think the (luxury car) industry will become a decent size when we cross a threshold of about 5 per cent (of the overall car market). And I do see this will happen," Dhillon told PTI. Stating that it was not sure how much time would it take, whether 5 years or 10 years or 20 years, to reach the 5 per level, he sai
Automobile retail sales in India rose 7 per cent year-on-year in January at 22,91,621 units, driven by robust demand across segments, dealer's body FADA said on Thursday. Overall retail sales stood at 21,49,117 units in January 2024. "Our observations indicate that each vehicle category --2W, 3W, PV, tractor and CV-- witnessed positive momentum, pointing toward sustained consumer confidence and steady market recovery," the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) President C S Vigneshwar said in a statement. Passenger vehicle retail sales jumped 16 per cent year-on-year to 4,65,920 units last month. Many dealers noted improved demand but also pointed to last year's heavy discounting, which helped clear older models and shift registrations, Vigneshwar said. Inventory levels have improved, dropping by around five days to 50-55 days, suggesting improved supply-demand balance, he added. Two-wheeler retails stood at 15,25,862 units last month, an increase of 4 per cent, as
Czech automaker Skoda is eyeing considerable increase in sales next year riding on the back of its latest offering Kylaq, which marks its entry into the high-selling compact SUV segment. The company is eyeing gains in smaller cities and towns with the new model which is tagged between Rs 7.89 lakh and Rs 14.4 lakh (ex-showroom). "It's a beginning of a new era for Skoda, because with this car, we are becoming a true volume player in India," Skoda Auto India Brand Director Petr Janeba told PTI in an interaction. He noted that Kylaq will further its goal of entering new markets, bringing new customers into the Skoda family and strengthening brand presence in India. When asked about sales aspirations with a new model joining the portfolio, Janeba said the company expects to close 2024 with a total volume of around 40,000 units. "Next year we are looking at 2.5-3 times growth in the volumes aided by Kylaq," he stated. The company has commenced bookings of the model with deliveries exp
German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Friday said it will hike prices of its vehicles in India by up to 3 per cent on its entire model range in the portfolio from January 1, 2025, citing a rise in input costs, inflationary pressures and higher operational expenses. Prices of Mercedes-Benz cars in India will be revised by Rs 2 lakh for the GLC to Rs 9 lakh for the top-end Mercedes-Maybach S 680 luxury limousine, Mercedes-Benz India said in a statement. The combination of rising input costs, inflation, and higher operational expenses has been exerting considerable pressure on Mercedes-Benz India's business operations and the company has been absorbing the rise in operational cost since the last three quarters, it added. "Over the past three quarters, we have been facing increased pressure on our cost structure primarily driven by escalating material cost, fluctuating commodity pricing, increased logistics expenses and inflationary cost," Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director & CEO