Pune: Mercedes-Benz, India’ biggest German luxury car maker, on Tuesday posted its highest-ever first-half sales, selling 9,768 cars in January-June 2026, up 9 per cent from 9,013 units in H1 2025.
Similarly, in the Q2 also sales climbed 10 per cent to 4,637 units from 4,238 units in Q2 2025, as demand for premium electric vehicles and top-end luxury models continued to outpace the company’s overall growth.
Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO at Mercedes-Benz India, said battery electric vehicles now account for 14 per cent of Mercedes’ Q2 sales, about double their earlier contribution, indicating rise in demand for electric luxury cars in the country.
The Pune-based automaker said its franchise partners are expected to invest more than Rs 450 crore over the next two years to add more than 20 luxury outlets across India, including its entry into Varanasi, while expanding its presence in Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Pune and Hyderabad.
The maker of its butter and bread C-Class and E-Class models said sales of its top-end luxury (TEL) models, including the Mercedes-Maybach range, S-Class, AMG models, EQS SUV and the newly launched V-Class—grew more than 20 per cent in the first half, taking their share to a record 28 per cent of total sales.
Mercedes-AMG deliveries surged 50 per cent, reflecting growing demand for ultra-luxury and performance vehicles.
“H1 2026 has shown increased preference for our top-end vehicles, with the share of TEVs now reaching an all-time high of 28 per cent, fuelled by rising demand for the new V-Class and the 50 per cent growth achieved by the performance AMG portfolio,” Iyer noted.
He said its battery electric cars priced above Rs 1.4 crore recorded 85 per cent growth in Q2, led by the EQS SUV, while the newly launched CLA BEV strengthened demand in the entry luxury segment.
The CLA BEV has already sold out its initial allocation, with waiting periods stretching five to six months, indicating affluent buyers are increasingly embracing electric mobility.
Interestingly, Mercedes’ sales performance highlights the widening divide between India’s luxury and mass-market passenger car segments.
Customers are not only lapping up more luxury cars but they are buying more expensive ones too.
Waiting periods for several top-end luxury models range from four months to as long as one year for the AMG G 63, while the long-wheelbase E-Class remained India’s highest-selling luxury car during the first half.
Mercedes’ entry luxury portfolio also expanded 29 per cent in Q2, driven by the CLA BEV and GLA SUV.