Mercedes eyeing double digit growth figures

Luxury carmaker Mercedes Benz is targeting a double digit growth figure in sales during this calendar year with the first two months showing a cumulative growth of 157 per cent.

The cumulative sales of Mercedes Benz in January-February period this year has shown a growth of 157 per cent, the company is hopeful of achieving double digit growth figures this year, Mercedes Benz director (sales and marketing) Debashis Mitra told reporters here.

"So far we have registered a good start to the year 2010 and February sales have been encouraging," Mitra said. The combined sales of Jan-Feb this year is 842 units with 439 cars being sold during February, he added.

During the Jan-Feb period last year it was 328 units.

In 2009 calendar year, Mercedes had sold 3,250 units against 3,650 in 2008. There was a fall in sales last year as the E series was not available since it was undergoing a face lift. E series which has contributed to 40 per cent growth is back in the portfolio, he said.

In total sales, the share of the south Indian market was 25-27 per cent and this year the company is expecting it to touch 30 per cent. In Kerala, 146 units were sold last year against 142 in 2008. In January this year, 37 cars were sold and 50 in February registering a 100 per cent growth, he said.

Mercedes today launched the M-Class, E-class and GL Class models in Kerala.