Mercedes expects 50% rise in new generation cars sales this yr

German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz is betting big on its new generation cars (NGC) portfolio in India and estimates the segment's volumes to grow by over 50 per cent this year.
The company's NGC portfolio comprises luxury hatchbacks A-Class and B-Class, along with the sedan CLA and sports utility vehicle GLA, which are helping the luxury car maker to bring in more customers to its fold.
"We expect our NGC volumes to grow by 50 per cent in 2015 and CLA and GLA will be playing a major role in this growth. We are glad to witness new young customers joining the Mercedes-Benz brand and that excites us," Mercedes-Benz India, MD and CEO, Eberhard Kern told PTI.

Mercedes, which sold 10,201 units in the country last year, does not share the break up of its sales but it is estimated that the NGC cars contributed about 20 per cent of the total sales.
Stating that the CLA and the GLA have received robust response across markets, he said: "Both these new generation cars have been able to cater to customer requirements successfully."
The contribution of both the CLA and the GLA have exceeded expectations and have contributed to 25 per cent increase in January 2015 volumes compared to corresponding month in 2014, Kern said without sharing details.

The company, which launched its latest NGC model 'CLA-Class' in India last month priced at in the range of Rs 31.5-35.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), said the model has a waiting period of one month to 45 days across regions. The first month allocation of the CLA-Class is already sold out.
"The strategy of Mercedes Benz India remains clear-- continue the growth curve for sustainable and profitable business in India," it said, adding that the company is expected to post another double digit growth in 2015 as the luxury market in India is set to pick up, albeit slowly.