Expect 2022 To Be Mercedes-Benz India's Best Year Ever: Martin Schwenk

With a slew of new launches and initiatives lined up for 2022, Mercedes-Benz India is more than optimistic that the calendar year will turn out to be its best ever. Martin Schwenk, CEO - Mercedes-Benz India elaborated on the same in a recent interaction with carandbike on the latest episode of "Freewheeling with SVP." Coming off a strong first quarter (January - March) in 2022, Schwenk is certain that Mercedes-Benz will be able to carry the momentum in the remainder of the year as well. The company sold over 4,000 cars in Q1 2022 and already has an order bank of over 5,000 cars, its largest ever so far with respect to Indian operations. You can watch the complete interaction below.

Also Read: New-Gen Mercedes-Benz C-Class Debuts In India Ahead Of May 10 Launch

Martin Schwenk said, "For the first time ever we have an order bank of over 5,000 cars. We have sold already 4,000 cars in the first quarter [of 2022]."

With as many as 10 product launches lined up this year, Mercedes-Benz says it has all things going for itself to achieve a new milestone this year. Despite the semiconductor shortage and supply chain constraints, the German automaker sold 11,242 cars during the 2021 calendar year, witnessing a 43 per cent growth year-on-year over 7,893 units sold in 2020. While the base year was so low due to the onset of the pandemic, the market has shown signs of recovery this year in comparison.

Martin Schwenk shared the sales numbers at the India unveiling of the new-generation C-Class

Elaborating on the expectations, Schwenk said, "Considering the pandemic, supply and whatever [constraints], it's a little too bold to say now but we have everything and we believe it should work. And if it doesn't work, we will have just to eat our words. It's always possible but it would certainly be based on the market then it would be somehow disruptions that we can't somehow foresee. But what we have launched now and we know obviously [and] what's still to come, we are very confident that we will have the strongest year we've ever had in India."

Also Read: Mercedes Says Over 11,000 Cars Sold Through Retail Of The Future

The last few months saw notable initiatives by Mercedes-Benz India that includes bringing new models and refreshing existing ones, as well as revising its sales strategy. The company introduced its new 'Retail of the Future' (ROTF) strategy last year aimed to bring more transparency to the purchase process. The company says it has already sold over 11,000 cars so far via ROTF and is expecting to see a substantial increment in the coming months.

This hike in volumes is expected to be pushed by the onslaught of new products. While the automaker launched the new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class earlier this year, the more volumes-friendly fifth-generation C-Class is scheduled to go on sale on May 10, 2022. Despite the popularity of SUVs, sedans continue to contribute a healthy 50 per cent to the overall sales and the company is optimistic that the new C-Class will be able to drive the growth momentum further.

Also Read: Mercedes-Benz India To Launch 10 New Products In 2022

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class goes on sale on May 10

Fondly called the 'baby S', the new-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class has seen a massive overhaul with the exterior and interior design inspired by the S-Class, while the feature list is more extensive and tech-driven. The car will also come with newer and more efficient petrol and diesel engines, all of which now get mild-hybrid technology. Mercedes has also confirmed that it will introduce the EQS electric sedan in the country this year and the model will be locally assembled right from the start. The EQS will be the automaker's new flagship offering and shows the brand's offensive strategy for electrification in India.

Mercedes-Benz remains the undisputed leader in the Indian luxury segment and the company's offensive approach has ensured it retained the numero uno tag over the past couple of years. This will also mean the other German offerings, BMW and Audi India will have some catching up to do of their own. BMW sold 8,876 cars in 2021, registering a 34 per cent growth while Audi saw a major revival with 3,293 units sold last year, reporting a 101 per cent growth. Both companies are going aggressive this year with their product launches and that would mean more customer-friendly initiatives are in tow. However, supply chain-related challenges will play a major role in deciding how the market shapes up in the remainder of the calendar year.