Luxury Car

Mercedes to hike prices from Jan to offset weak rupee impact against euro

Mercedes-Benz India on Friday said it will hike vehicle prices by up to 2 per cent from January in order to offset the impact of weakening rupee value against the Euro. The price correction, capped at 2 per cent, reflects sustained forex pressures that have characterised the luxury automotive landscape throughout 2025, the luxury car market leader said in a statement. "Currency headwinds have persisted longer than we anticipated this year, with the Euro consistently trading over the Rs 100 mark. This prolonged volatility affects every aspect of our operations, from imported components for local production to completely built units," Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Santosh Iyer said. The currency environment has created substantial cost pressures across the supply chain, affecting both imported components for local assembly, as well as import of CBU (completely built vehicles), the Pune-based automaker said. Despite the company's aggressive localisation strategy, which continues to .

BMW may hike prices in Jan to offset impact of weak rupee against euro: CEO

German luxury carmaker BMW is looking to hike vehicle prices from next month as it aims to offset the impact of the weakened rupee against the euro, company's President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar said on Thursday. The company had earlier announced to increase prices by up to 3 per cent from September 1 this year, citing the adverse impact of continued forex fluctuation and global supply chain dynamics. BMW currently sells a range of luxury cars and SUVs, including electric vehicles, starting with the 2 Series Gran Coupe priced at Rs 45.3 lakh and the XM tagged at Rs 2.54 crore, in the Indian market. "Forex fluctuation is a big dampener. We were looking at somewhere about 93 to 95 (rupee against euro) this year, but it is actually around 103 to 105, so it's about 10 per cent deterioration versus our expectation. So that puts a lot of pressure on pricing and profitability," Brar told PTI. He noted that the company was not considering raising prices with the new GST rates coming into

The white-glove way: A world where a car means your wish is my command

From school admissions to red-carpet galas, automakers are redefining luxury with concierge care that transforms ownership into an all-access lifestyle

Rolls-Royces to Fords: How collectors are preserving India's motoring soul

From handcrafted parts to million-rupee rebuilds, the people reviving India's automotive past

Luxury carmakers rev up festive cheer with reduced prices, festival offers

Industry experts note that reduced GST rates and bundled festive discounts have made this an opportune time for buyers

Jains in Gujarat buy 186 luxury cars, save ₹21 cr in 'one-of-its-kind deal'

The Jain community has put up an impressive show of its formidable buying power by driving home 186 high-end cars after securing discounts of Rs 21 crore. This "one-of-its-kind deal" with luxury automobile brands like BMW, Audi and Mercedes was pulled off by the Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), its vice president Himanshu Shah told PTI on Saturday. JITO is a not-for-profit community body with 65,000 members from across India, he said. These 186 luxury cars, each priced between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 1.3 crore, were handed over to their owners across India between January and June this year. JITO's nationwide drive helped our members save Rs 21 crore in the form of discounts, said Shah. He said the organisation was just a facilitator and did not profit from this deal. The majority of the cars were bought by Gujarat-based Jains, Shah added. It all started when some JITO members suggested leveraging the community's strong buying power to secure heavy discounts from carmakers

Luxury car smuggling case: ED raids Dulquer Salman, Prithviraj in Kerala; what's going on?

The Enforcement Directorate today carried out multiple raids across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, targeting top Malayalam film stars and businessmen over an alleged luxury car smuggling racket.

ED raids Dulquer Salman, Prithviraj in Kerala luxury cars smuggling case

The ED on Wednesday raided premises linked to actors Prithviraj, Dulquer Salman and Amit Chakkalackal and some others across Kerala as part of its investigation into a recent Customs case related to alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles from Bhutan to India, official sources said. The searches by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also covered certain vehicle owners, auto workshops, and traders in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Kottayam and Coimbatore. A total of 17 premises are being covered, the sources said. The action is being taken under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in a recent case unearthed by the Customs related to alleged smuggling of high-end luxury vehicles and unauthorised foreign exchange dealings. The searches are based on inputs exposing a syndicate engaged in illegal import and registration of luxury cars such as Land Cruiser, Defender, and Maserati through the India-Bhutan/Nepal routes, they said. Preliminary findings, according to the ...

HNIs doubled in just 4 years, fuelling surge in luxury auto demand

India's millionaire households have nearly doubled to 8.7 lakh in four years, creating a runway for luxury car demand as wealth fuels aspirations and premium consumption

Luxury carmakers urge clarity on GST rates to boost festive season sales

A clear picture regarding new GST rates at the earliest will help the overall auto industry, including the luxury car segment, to regain momentum in the ongoing quarter, which generally sees enhanced sales on account of the festive season. The high-powered GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will meet on September 3-4 to discuss moving to a two-slab taxation. In an interaction with PTI, BMW Group India President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar said the recent speculation about the change in GST rates has caused uncertainty in the minds of consumers. Consumer interest and demand is strong, but they (prospective buyers) have adopted a wait-and-watch approach, and this delayed decision-making is impacting new vehicle sales at a certain level, he noted. "Expediting clarity on GST rates is essential to get back to speed and ensure the auto sector's contribution to economic growth during this quarter is robust," Brar stated. He also hoped that the sustainable push ..

India-UK trade deal: Smooth road ahead as luxury cars set to get cheaper

The India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is expected to lower tariffs, making high-end luxury cars and bikes more affordable. Brands like JLR, McLaren, and Triumph stand to benefit

Mercedes-Benz sees surge in customisation; luxury EV sales up 66%

Mercedes-Benz India launches collector's AMG G 63 as demand for personalisation grows; luxury EV sales rise 66 per cent in Jan-May, driven by new-age preferences

Chinese luxury carmaker Seres overtakes BMW in high-end EV market shake-up

Formerly called DFSK Motor, Seres partnered with telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co. back in 2021 to launch the Aito brand of premium electric and hybrid sport utility vehicles

Hyderabad luxury car dealer arrested for Rs 100 cr customs duty evasion

Luxury car dealer Basharat Khan arrested for Rs 100 crore customs duty evasion linked to illegal imports of high-end cars via Dubai and Sri Lanka through undervaluation tactics

Old is gold: Pre-owned luxury cars outsell new in 2024 as demand surges

The overall Indian automotive market is moving towards premiumisation, a trend evident from the rising share of utility vehicles (UVs)

After Renault, BMW Group announces 3% price hike in India starting April

Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Kia India and Honda Cars have all announced price hikes April 2025 onwards

Luxury car market may double by 2030: Volvo Cars India MD Jyoti Malhotra

Considering what we have in the Indian market, Volvo is very competitively placed. We are performing quite well in different segments, Malhotra said

Eyes on the road: How Santosh Iyer is shaping Mercedes-Benz India's path

For Santosh Iyer, the drive is as much about the journey as it is about the destination - whether on the road or steering Mercedes-Benz India into the future

Rupee volatility likely to drive imported luxury car prices off course

Luxury car sales touched 51K units for first time in 2024

Mercedes reports best-ever annual sales; to roll out 8 models in 2025

Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz India plans to roll out 8 new models, including battery electric vehicles, this year as it looks to sustain sales momentum having posted record sales in 2024. The company sold 19,565 units last year, registering a growth of 12 per cent as compared to 17,408 units in 2023. Mercedes also saw sales of battery electric vehicles almost doubled in 2024 as compared to 2023. The company said one out of the four vehicles it sold last year was a top end vehicle (TEV) with a price tag exceeding Rs 1.5 crore. In an interaction with PTI, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director & CEO Santosh Iyer said the new launches would be a mix of new models as well as fresh versions of the existing line up. The company introduced 14 new models last year in India. Iyer noted that the company remains optimistic as sales growth to continue in 2025 as well despite witnessing some headwinds in the second half of last year. In the second half of last year, the market growth actuall