DaimlerChrysler foresees 20% sales rise

DaimlerChrysler hopes to register a 20 per cent increase in its sales. The company hopes to sell over 1850 cars this year (January-December). Last year, it sold 1581 cars, up 30 per cent when compared to sales in 2002.

Speaking to mediapersons on the launch of Mercedes Benz 'C' class, bio-diesel power car, Suhas Kadlaskar, director-corporate affairs and finance, DaimlerChrysler, said, "C-Class continues to be the our best-selling model. We plan to increase our customer base by focussing on secondary towns. We are encouraging our dealers to put up service stations as it can double as sales points."

In the first quarter of this calendar year, the company has sold 534 cars when compared to 385 cars sold in the corresponding period last year. C-Class' popularity can also be attributed to a reduction in price. Last year, the company sold 700 of these cars when compared to 500 in 2002.

Meanwhile, Kadlaskar announced that the company has invested nearly Rs 3 crore towards the test trial of bio-diesel fuel on Mercedes Benz C-Class. The company initiated this project in August 2003 in association with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the University of Hohenheim in Germany.

The test phase involves running Mercedes C-Class car on bio-diesel for over 5,000 km. Bio-diesel is derived from Jatropha seeds which grows on degraded soils and is highly pest and disease resistant.

It may be noted that the company's profits decreased by 11 per cent last year to touch Rs 34 crore. The company says that the appreciating euro against the rupee resulted in 34 per cent increase in cost of raw materials.