NEW DELHI: Mercedes Benz, the German luxury car maker, has recorded its best ever sales in India for the first nine months of 2017 after selling 11,869 units, representing 19.6% growth on the same period last year.

The company also reported that it sold 4,698 vehicles between July and September, or sales growth of 41% year-on-year – again, its best ever performance in the third quarter.

One of the major contributors to the sales growth has been the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class long wheelbase model, which outsold its C-Class over the year, NDTV reported.

Roger Folger, MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, attributed the growth to the company’s “strong customer focused strategy”, adding that “unprecedented demand” for the long wheelbase E-Class Sedan in particular contributed to the overall sales success.

Mercedes-Benz has launched ten products this year so far, while two more are expected to be launched in the following months, leading Folger to assert that the company remains “bullish on the fast-changing dynamics of the Indian automotive industry”.

Meanwhile, the buoyant Indian luxury car market has also favoured fellow Germany manufacturer BMW, which said in a statement that “its quarterly sales performance [for Q3] has been at its best since the launch of the new 5 Series”.

Although BMW did not reveal exactly how many vehicles it sold over the period, it has previously announced that it sold 7,138 units between January and September, equating to 17.3% growth since the same period in 2016.

“This radical growth is a result of our all-round strategy, our resolute approach in its implementation and our absolute commitment to our customers and their needs,” said Vikram Pawah, President of BMW Group India.

“We are confident of continuing this momentum as we strongly believe that leading the growth of the premium car segment in India is more important than anything, even more important than being just Number One.”

Sourced from NDTV; additional content by WARC staff