Audi emerges as top luxury car brand in India

BMW which enjoyed the coveted position since 2009 has slipped to third place in 2013 sales

Hyderabad: German luxury carmaker Audi, a part of Volkswagen Group, has now emerged as the top luxury car brand in India, replacing its compatriot rival BMW from the coveted position in 2013 sales.

Audi sold a total of 10,002 units during 2013, registering a growth of 11 per cent from 9,003 units it delivered in 2012. In the process, it became the first luxury carmaker to sell more than 10,000 units in a single calendar year in the country besides snatching the sales crown from BMW.

In contrast, BMW, which topped the charts with 9,375 units in 2012, managed to deliver just 7,327 units last year, witnessing a sales decline of 22 per cent. “We had sold 7,327 units in 2013, ”Abhay Dange, Director (Corporate Affairs), BMW India, told The Hans India, without elaborating the reasons for the decline. However, he went on to say that BMW sold 418 units of Mini cars in the country last year.

Interestingly, BMW had stopped announcing its sales numbers in the country since last April following a dispute with the industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) over the way its rivals – Audi and Mercedes Benz – were reporting their sales numbers.

Even as BMW slipped to the third spot, Mercedes Benz, which had been relegated to a distant third place for the past few years, has now climbed to second place with total sales of 9,003 units last year, a growth of 32 per cent year-on-year. Mercedes, which ruled the luxury car market in India till BMW dethroned it in 2009, sold 6,840 units in 2012.

Meanwhile, Audi India head Joe King attributed the phenomenal success of the automaker to innovative marketing initiatives and diverse portfolio. “2013 was a stellar year for Audi India in terms of growth, expansion and performance. Our strong leadership is a result of our diverse product portfolio, network expansion and unique marketing activities,” he added.