Luxury carmakers tap India's growing appetite for bespoke vehicles

From yacht-matched interiors to family crests, affluent buyers are personalising their set of wheels

A Mercedes-Benz buyer wants the interiors of a car to match a favourite watch or yacht. Another wants a lucky colour or the family name stitched into the upholstery. At Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), two India-inspired Range Rover editions — one drawing on the tiger of Ranthambore and another on rare Himalayan blue sapphires — sold out almost immediately, despite price tags approaching ₹5 crore. Meanwhile, an Audi customer in Bhubaneswar spent ₹12.29 lakh on a particular shade of green for an RS Q8.

 

Such purchases are becoming an important business opportunity for luxury carmakers in India, as customers increasingly pay premiums for bespoke paint finishes, interiors, and equipment.

 

“The demand for personalisation in India has grown exponentially — it has more than doubled in the past two years,” said Rajan Amba, managing director (MD), JLR India. More than 10 per cent of Range Rover clients now opt for some level of personalisation, with the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport leading demand.

 

The extra spending can be generous. JLR says some customers spend up to ₹1 crore extra to create a one-of-one Range Rover. BMW says highly bespoke commissions can add 60–70 per cent to a vehicle’s value, with its Grand Klasse Luxury and M Series typically priced between ₹1.5 crore and ₹2.6 crore.

 

“At Audi India, we have seen customers spend ₹50–70 lakh purely on customisation for top-end models, while individual options can themselves represent a sizeable investment,” said Balbir Singh Dhillon, brand director, Audi India.

 

The Bhubaneswar customer selected 17 customisation options, the highest number ever recorded at Audi India, including Java Green paint priced at ₹12.29 lakh. 

 

Another customer in Coimbatore spent ₹36 lakh customising an Audi RS e-tron GT, opting for a carbon-fibre roof, all-wheel steering, and other bells and whistles.

 

India’s luxury passenger vehicle market remains relatively small, with industry estimates putting sales at around 38,000 units during January–September, up about 10 per cent from 34,000–35,000 units a year earlier. Manufacturers also face pressure from the rupee’s depreciation against the euro, which raises the cost of fully imported vehicles, components, and assembly kits. BMW Group India has previously said every ₹1 depreciation against the euro affects its profit margin by around 1 per cent.

 

Higher spending on factory personalisation offers manufacturers another way to raise transaction values, although companies have not disclosed its contribution to revenue or profitability.

 

At Mercedes-Benz, around 75 per cent of Mercedes-Maybach vehicles sold in India are configured with Manufaktur personalisation, one of the highest take-up rates across its markets.

 

“Customers order interior colours coordinated with their favourite watch or yacht, or choose lucky shades they follow,” said Santosh Iyer, MD and chief executive officer, Mercedes-Benz India.

 

The trend accompanies a broader shift towards premium models. Mercedes-Benz India sold 15,190 vehicles during January–September, up 8 per cent year-on-year from 14,132 units. Its top-end segment, including the Maybach, G-Class, AMG, and S-Class, grew 13 per cent and accounted for more than a quarter of sales.

 

Porsche says almost 100 per cent of its two-door sports cars are individually configured by customers, compared with around 30 per cent of its sport utility vehicles (SUVs). The proportion for SUVs can rise to almost 60 per cent during new model launches. 

 

“We are seeing a clear shift towards customers wanting a Porsche that feels individual to them, rather than simply selecting a standard specification,” said Ashutosh Dixit, brand director, Porsche India.

 

BMW says customers increasingly arrive at showrooms with saved images and preferred colour combinations rather than choosing from available inventory. Its BMW Individual programme offers i7 buyers more than 500 combinations, including 165 exterior paint colours.

 

“The most distinctive requests are often defined not by how much they cost, but by the personal meaning they carry,” BMW said. Customers have commissioned initials, signatures, and family crests, while others have designed vehicles around colours used across their car collections.

 

Manufacturers are also developing exclusive editions for Indian buyers. JLR’s Range Rover SV Ranthambore Edition, priced at ₹4.98 crore, sold all 12 units within a week. Its subsequent SV Masara Edition, priced at ₹4.99 crore, sold out at launch. Mercedes-Benz has introduced India-specific Manufaktur paint shades and personalised grab handles, while Mini’s Mod My Mini programme offers 2.5 million possible combinations.

 

Factory-led customisation also allows manufacturers to retain spending that might otherwise go to aftermarket specialists. BMW and Porsche emphasise the engineering, quality and warranty advantages of manufacturer-approved options.

 

Personalisation could increasingly extend beyond the initial purchase. The Mercedes-Benz Operating System, or MB.OS, offers artificial intelligence-powered interactions, while BMW and Porsche provide configurable digital experiences and driving characteristics. Whether these capabilities will generate substantial additional revenue remains unclear.

 

For now, the shift is most evident in how customers buy their cars.

 

“Three to five years ago, clients were largely buying what was in stock — standard specs. Today, the Range Rover client wants to create his own vehicle,” said Amba.

 

Beyond the factory finish

 

• Bespoke paint, interiors, and equipment command hefty premiums
• JLR: Some customers spend up to ₹1 crore extra on one-of-a-kind Range Rovers
• BMW: Highly bespoke commissions can add 60-70% to a vehicle’s value
• Porsche: Nearly 100% of its two-door sports cars are individually configured by buyers