German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz, on Thursday, launched sport utility vehicle ML 63, priced at Rs.1.49 crore (ex-showroom Delhi), taking its portfolio of AMG range of cars available in the domestic market to six.
The company expects good response to AMG cars, and is looking at doubling the sales double in the current calendar year.
While the company did not share the number of the total AMG cars sold in India last year, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Eberhard Kern said, “We have around 200 AMGs on India roads presently, sold over the last couple of years.”
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Globally, the German car major sells around 30 variants of cars under the AMG portfolio. It started retailing AMG cars in India in 2008.
Mercedes-AMG GmbH Director Branding and Marketing Mario Spitzner said the company sold over 32,000 units of AMG cars globally in 2013.
“India is still a niche market, a growing market for us...We certainly believe in this market in the long run,” Mr. Spitzner said.
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Asked about the company’s plans for further product launches in the year, Mr. Kern said, “We have already launched four products so far in 2014, and would add another six by the end of the year.”
He added that the company was looking for a double-digit growth in the current year.
Asked about the progress on expanding production capacity at its Chakan plant, Mr. Kern said work at plant was at completion stage. “We are almost there. I think around 97 per cent of the work has been completed... It will effectively double our production capacity, taking the total to 20,000 units a year,” he said.
Meanwhile, the company announced the launch of its first AMG Performance Centre here in the country. Mr. Kern said this development marked new era for Mercedes-Benz in India.
“We are launching two more centres in Bengaluru and Mumbai in the next two days. Our AMG Performance Centres will serve as a hub for the famed AMG experience which is second to none,” he added.