Latest news with #SantoshIyer
Time of India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
'75% G-Wagons sold in India are personalised': Santosh Iyer explains Mercedes' 'hyper-custom' strategy
Mercedes' R&D head Manu Saale and India head Santosh Iyer with the G63 Collector's Edition. Based on an interaction with Arpit Mahendra. Mercedes-Benz India is focusing on hyper-personalisation as part of its strategy, as seen in the recently launched AMG G63 Collector's Edition. We spoke with Santosh Iyer, Managing Director & CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, and Manu Saale, Managing Director & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI), about how customer preferences are changing, the engineering work that goes into these special editions, and how the brand is growing in the electric vehicle space in India. Hyper-Personalisation is more than just a buzzword Mercedes-Benz is betting big on personalisation, both in the physical and digital departments. 'The G63 AMG is the largest selling engine in our portfolio, and 75% of the Gs we sell in India are personalized,' said Santosh Iyer. Taking this a step further, the G63 Grand Edition allows customers to engrave their names (or even those of family members) on the car's grab handle. This is the first time the company has offered such customisation in India. But the idea of hyper-personalisation doesn't end with physical modifications. As Manu Saale explained, 'The word hyper-personalisation also has a digital spin… all the Mercedes cars, with the MB OS architecture, allow you to personalise so many things in the car, just like a consumer electronic device would - except it's done the Mercedes way.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo India-specific design, engineering behind collector's edition The G63 Collector's Edition offers a host of India-specific customized upgrades over the model, including two new colour options. Speaking on how the specific changes were planned and executed, Saale explained 'The brief to the engineering teams was: within a given timeframe, what inspiration can we draw from around us?' 'One of the first ideas was the onset of the monsoon season. The Manufacturer Green and Manufacturer Red colours were inspired by the lush greenery and the colour of Indian soil.' Behind the execution lies Indian R&D. 'The engineering was done out of Pune and Mangalore,' Saale noted, pointing out the collaborative effort of their design and R&D teams in India. On the capability front, Saale spoke about a key update: 'For the first time, we have introduced launch control in the G63 AMG with this edition. It's an addition to the collector's edition, and going forward we may bring more such performance features in future editions.' Demand for customisation highest in G-Class, Maybach models While the brand's ultra-luxury customers continue to demand unique customer-specific touches, some models lead the way. 'The G63 AMG sees the highest level of customisation: over 75% of them are personalised. The S-Class Maybach is around 50%, followed by the GLS Maybach,' said Iyer. However, this level of customisation is largely limited to fully imported (CBU) models like the G-Class and Maybach range. 'For the rest of the lineup, these cars are built to stock. At the top end, customers are willing to pay and wait six to nine months. But as you go lower down the pyramid, customers want quick delivery, and so there is less scope for customisation,' Iyer explained. Mercedes-Benz G 580 Review: Is Electric G-Wagen still iconic? | TOI Auto While the G63 Collector's Edition is a visual and aesthetic upgrade, both Iyer and Saale made it clear that the future could include more technical upgrades. 'MBRDI today is the largest R&D centre for Mercedes outside of Germany,' said Saale. 'There's a bit of India in every Mercedes. It's just up to our imagination what we can do.' With just 30 units planned for India, the Grand Edition isn't for everyone. 'It's not exactly invite-only,' Iyer clarified, 'but customers must own another top-end Mercedes. It's on a first-come, first-served basis, and delivery begins later this year. Once a customer books, we initiate consultations for engraving, font selections, and other customisation details.' G-Class EV reception strong, EV sales soaring Speaking on electrification, Iyer said the company's EV push is seeing strong traction in India. 'The luxury EV segment grew 66% (Jan–May, YoY), and we grew 73%. EV penetration in the luxury segment has gone up from 7% to 11%,' he revealed. While the EQS and EQS SUV are current volume drivers, Iyer also highlighted the success of the G-Class EV. 'India is one of the best-performing markets for it globally,' he said, adding that strong incentives and better price parity between ICE and EVs are helping push sales.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
Mercedes-Benz India launches EQS 580 ‘Celebration Edition' at ₹1.30 crore
Mercedes-Benz India has launched the EQS 580 4MATIC 'Celebration Edition' at ₹1.30 crore. This edition is limited to just 50 units. Its features include executive seats at the rear that offer a 38-degree recline, a rear seat comfort package with massage and lumbar support, complete Nappa leather upholstery and designer belt buckles, and the MBUX Augmented Reality (AR) navigation. According to the company, the luxury sedan can offer a range of over 800km, the highest among BEVs in the country. 'The EQS 580 Celebration Edition signifies growing customer interest in our top-end BEVs. We continue to outpace market growth, regularly upgrading our luxury BEV portfolio,' said Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India. Mercedes-Benz India's Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) portfolio outpaced the overall luxury market with a robust 73 per cent year-to-date growth till May 2025, driven by strong demand for models like the EQS 580 sedan and SUV, EQS Maybach SUV , and G 580 with EQ Technology, the luxury carmaker said in a statement. Expansion of Retail Footprint The launch coincided with the inauguration of a new 'Atelier Experience' showroom at Sundaram Motors , Adyar, Chennai. The showroom is Mercedes-Benz India's latest initiative to deliver hyper-personalised luxury in key urban hubs. This showroom features customisable interiors with personalised wall designs, MANUFAKTUR customisation program for tailoring high-end models, dedicated customer consultation zones with product experts, digital configurators enabling a 'physi-digital' experience, and space to showcase premium model line-ups such as the Maybach, AMG, G-Class, and others. In 2025, Mercedes-Benz plans to add 30 new or upgraded luxury touchpoints, with 19 scheduled to open in the next five months. These include showrooms in major metros and fast-growing cities like Kanpur, Patna, Varanasi, Udaipur, and Bhopal. With state-of-the-art lounges like the Maybach Lounge (Hyderabad), G-Class Lounge (New Delhi) and now the Atelier Experience (Mumbai and Chennai), the brand is creating curated experiences for high-end customers. 'Our eleven facilities and Sundaram Signature Service ensure customer convenience and long-term support,' said Sharath Vijayaraghavan, executive director, Sundaram Motors.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
India's luxury car market gets an EV charge
India's luxury vehicle market is giving itself an EV charge. According to the latest data from Vahan dashboard, the penetration of EVs in the luxury car market increased from 7per cent in January-May 2024 to 11% in the same period this year. Luxe e-vehicle sales went from 1,223 units in Jan-May 24 to 2,027 units in the same period this year, shows the Vahan data. For calendar 2024, e-luxe vehicle sales were around 51,000 units up from just over 48,000 units in 2023 (some OEMs did not share retail data). This is the first time that EV penetration in the luxe car and SUV market has entered double digit territory. Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO, Mercedes Benz India said, 'More luxury customers are lapping up electric vehicles. In the calendar year 2025 YTD, the total luxury vehicle market grew 5per cent but the electric luxury market was up 66per cent and Mercedes Benz India saw 73% growth.' The company which launched the EQS580 sedan celebration edition in Chennai on Monday, is focusing on the higher end of its luxury lineup. 'We are growing in the top end of the EV space with the EQS sedan, EQS SUV and Maybach EQS 680 SUV leading the growth,' he added. With more than 3,000 EVs sold till date arch-rival BMW Group India is serious about its electric presence. Vikram Pawah, president and CEO, BMW Group India said, 'BMW is the leader in electric luxury mobility since the last 3 years. At present, we command 58per cent of luxury EV market share.' The company sold 1,020 units of its BMW and Mini EVs in January to May 2025, up 110per cent over the same period last year. The company is also focusing on 'enabling a strong EV ecosystem for our consumers,' by understanding usage patterns, offering a strong charging network and a host of charging initiatives. As for Audi India, it is offering customers access to 6,500 plus charge points through a charging app for convenience. Priced anywhere between ₹ 1 crore to ₹3 crore, the e-luxe cars and SUVs are not cheap. But luxury car makers are looking at this segment as a growth opportunity even if EVs currently comprise less than 10per cent of their sales. For Audi India, for instance, EVs constitute 2per cent of its total sales volumes while for Mercedes Benz India electric comprised 7per cent of its 19,565 units overall sales in 2024.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Hans India
Mercedes-Benz may again hike price in Sept
Chennai: German-luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz India has indicated a further price increase for its cars from September, citing adverse fluctuation of Euro against the Indian Rupee, a top official said here on Monday. The company already revised its prices by 1.5 per cent, each in January and June this year, Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer said. 'If you see, yesterday night, one Euro is equal to Rs99 and it is the first time that Euro has breached the Rs98 mark. We had priced our cars (when One EURO) was at Rs89-90. With Euro going up, even though we localise more than 30 per cent of our cars, 70 per cent of the cars still have European content and when the EURO goes up (against Rupee), the price (of Mercedes-Benz range of cars) will go up,' he told reporters. He noted that Mercedes-Benz has already effected a price increase of its cars twice in 2025, in January and June. Up to 1.5 per cent was the increase in hike. 'And the third one (increase in price) equal to 1.5 per cent will come in September, because we cannot pass this in one go and we are doing it in phase wise,' he said. Despite the proposal to increase the price of cars, Iyer sounded optimistic on retail sales with the Reserve Bank of India announcing interest rate cuts twice this year. 'We have non-banking finance company, Mercedes-Benz Finance and this arm has also reduced the interest rates. About 80 per cent of our cars are financed and today, if you look at June, the price of cars (of Mercedes-Benz) has gone up. But the EMIs remain the same.' he said. He added that the interest rate cuts announced by the Reserve Bank is helping the sales of Mercedes-Benz range of cars for sure.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Hindu
Mercedes-Benz India to raise prices again in September, amid exchange rate fluctuations: MD Santosh Iyer
Mercedes-Benz India will increase prices of its models by 1% to 1.5% in September, its third for the year, amid exchange rate fluctuations, said its Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer. The German luxury maker also reiterated its earlier forecast of flat to single digit growth in India for 2025, amid exchange rates and geopolitical concerns. 'We have increased our prices in the range of 1-1.5% each in January and June. We have priced our cars for the rupee-euro exchange to be in the range 89-90. Now it has breached the 98 mark for the first time. 70% of our models have European content and therefore when the euro goes up the price of the models will go up,' Mr. Iyer said in a media interaction. He was in Chennai for the inauguration of the Mercedes-Benz 'Atelier Experience' showroom from Sundaram Motors at Adyar in Chennai. Mercedes-Benz also launched itd EQS580 'Celebration Edition'. 'We cannot pass on the entire shock of price hikes to customers in one go. We have to do it in a phased manner. The price increase will have an impact on demand. That is why we have guided for flat to single-digit growth in 2025,' Mr. Iyer said. He also said the repo rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India is a welcome step and would help increase demand. '80% of our cars are bought on finance. Banks and our own financial arm have passed on the rate cuts. Despite the price increases, the EMIs have remained the same due to the rate cuts. The rate cuts increase demand for housing. Construction sector is one of the key segments for the luxury car market,' Mr. Iyer said. He also pointed out that Mercedes-Benz has outpaced the market in terms of luxury car electric vehicle sales, driven by its top-end models. 'When you look at the combustion engine models there is a 48% GST and 20% road tax. Whereas in case EVs the GST is 5% and most States have exempted road tax and some have given 50% waiver on road tax. So some customers are seeing the benefits of buying an EV model,' Mr. Iyer said.
