By Parikshit Luthra
Mercedes-Benz has kicked off its 30th year of operations in India with the launch of the new GLS. The new GLS has been launched in two variants and is priced at ₹1.32 crore and ₹1.37 crore ex-showroom. The GLS is the highest-selling luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV) in India, with more than 12,000 GLS vehicles sold in the country.
The luxury car maker sold 17,408 vehicles in the calendar year 2023, registering a 10% growth over 2022. This was the best year for the auto major in terms of sales and the best fourth quarter, with 4,640 units sold.
“India is the fastest-growing market for Mercedes. We will intensify product offerings in India. More than 50% of new launches will be top-end vehicles,” said Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO, Mercedes Benz. The company had the highest-ever production figures in 2023 and has an order book for 3,000 cars.
Mercedes has announced a ₹200 crore investment for the Indian market for the calendar year 2024, and with this, the luxury car maker would achieve its target of ₹3,000 crore investment in India.
The company’s MD and CEO, Santosh Iyer, announced that Mercedes-Benz will launch more than 12 new products. As part of the launch plan, the company will launch three new-born electric vehicles (EV).
As part of its plan to expand its retail footprint in India, Mercedes-Benz will build 20 new workshops in 10 new cities, including Jammu, Kanpur, Udaipur, Amritsar, Patna, Valsad, Agra, Kannur, and Kottayam.
The company plans to double the solar energy capacity at the manufacturing plant and triple the recycling capacity in 2024.
An additional investment of ₹200 crores will go towards enhancing capacity and introducing new products and technological innovations.