Reference Auto

With India’s super-rich ballooning and the super luxury car segment in the country almost nearing the 100 per cent growth level, German luxury carmaker Mercedes Benz has re-launched its high-end luxury car, the Maybach, in India, as it feels it is the right time to re-enter the Indian market.

According to Forbes, the number of billionaires in the country surged by 17 last year and the total stood at 69. As a result, high-end luxury cars are on a roll in the Indian market. For instance, Audi’s Indian subsidiary had recently reported sales of a whopping 3,003 cars in 2010, a growth of 81 per cent!



While BMW India notched sales of 6,246 cars, Mercedes-Benz India sold 5,819 cars between January and December 2010. The luxury car market is estimated at a whopping 15,000 cars per year. Mercedes-Benz, which is part of Daimler AG, sold 200 Maybachs worldwide last year.

The Maybach 57S and 62 will be priced at Rs 4.85 crore and Rs 5.10 crore, respectively in India. The Maybach 57S will have a 5,980 cc V12 petrol engine that will produce 600 plus German thoroughbreds and 1,000 Nm torque.

The 62 model will come with a 5,513 cc V12 petrol engine that will produce about 543 Bhp shove and 900 Nm twist. Regarding the interior trim, Maybach will have cars tailor-made for every buyer.

While the 5,980 cc Maybach 57 S can touch a maximum speed of 275 km, the 5,513 cc Maybach 62 can reach 250 km per hour.

The Maybach, which was earlier introduced in 2005, came for Rs 5 crore. This super luxury car will be slugging it out with the likes of Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Drophead, Lamborghini Murcielago, Bentley and other such cars.

Mercedes-Benz feels that the high price will not be a deterrent. “There are customers who are capable of affording the unparalleled luxury of this car,” said Mercedes-Benz India chief executive Peter Honegg during the launch.

Honegg added it “may have been too early then (in 2005). Now it is time for a second push.” Mercedes-Benz feels those who can afford private jets are the potential customers for the Maybach.

Honegg did not divulge sales targets for India but added Mercedes, on an average, sells around 20 Maybachs a year in China.

With developed markets already saturated, global auto majors are riveting on emerging nations such as India to boost sales. Ever since the Maybach brand was resurrected in the 2000’s by Mercedes-Benz, this luxury liner, unlike its peers like Rolls Royce and Bentley, hasn’t really created much of an impression among people.

Globally, it has been seen that the super-rich class would rather opt for a Rolls or a Bentley for almost the same price, rather than a Maybach. Also, the performance of the Maybach does not match that of similar cars in the super luxury segment.

Even in India, the Maybach is not a name to reckon with and is unlikely to be the preference despite its re-launch, even though it has the Mercedes name tagged to it.