Audi pips Mercedes in Q1 in best-ever India sales

Retains tag of being India's largest luxury car seller

German luxury car seller Audi opened 2014 by scoring a lead over arch-rival Mercedes-Benz, retaining its tag of being India’s largest luxury car seller.

The brand with four rings sold 2,740 units during the January-March period against 2,554 units by Mercedes-Benz, the world’s oldest automobile company. This is Audi’s best quarterly sales in India.

Joe King, head, Audi India, said: “The double achievement of selling 10,000 units in a single financial year and calendar year validates the strength and stature the brand has achieved in India. We are looking forward to consolidating our position while growing profitably in the future as well.”

Audi announced that the launch of the A3 sedan, which would take place during June-July this year. The company, which assembles cars from a Maharashtra-based plant, reported a growth of 4.74 per cent compared to the year-ago period when it sold 2,616 units. In March, Audi clocked its best-ever monthly sales of 1,404 units in India.

Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz, which outsold Audi in the final two quarters of the last calendar year, closed the first quarter of this year at the second spot with Audi having a lead of 186 units. The action between the two companies is expected to further increase as both brands prepare to unleash new models in the coming months.

While Audi will unwrap the A3, Mercedes is preparing to commercially launch its compact sports utility vehicle GLA, which it had showcased at the India Auto Expo held in February this year. Industry sources say given its booking numbers, the company expects to beat Audi in the second quarter.

Mercedes, which was the first to reveal its sales figures for the January-March quarter, clocked a growth of 27 per cent.

BMW, the third high-volume luxury car company in India, did not disclose its sales for the quarter.