Jaguar Land Rover and Lexus India have also recorded strong year-on-year retail sales growth.
13 Apr 2025 | 2469 Views | By Saptarshi Mondal, Autocar India
Unlike the mass-market segments, where most leading carmakers reported only marginal growth in the last financial year (FY2025) or even a decline in some cases, most luxury carmakers registered robust growth, and Mercedes-Benz continues to lead the pack. Let’s take a closer look.
4 percent year-on-year growth
E-Class LWB ...
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Unlike the mass-market segments, where most leading carmakers reported only marginal growth in the last financial year (FY2025) or even a decline in some cases, most luxury carmakers registered robust growth, and Mercedes-Benz continues to lead the pack. Let’s take a closer look.
4 percent year-on-year growth
E-Class LWB was brand’s bestseller
Mercedes-Benz retailed 18,928 cars in India in FY2025, recording a 4 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth over the year-ago period. The company said this was also its highest-ever sales in a financial year. Once again, the new E-Class LWB has emerged as the brand’s bestselling model, as well as India’s bestselling luxury car. Mercedes claims its Top-End Vehicles (TEVs are cars costing over Rs 1.5 crore) saw a 34 percent growth with strong demand for the AMG G 63, Maybach Night Series and the new electric G-Class. Meanwhile, the EQS SUV was its bestselling EV in the last financial year, with overall sales of EVs growing by 51 percent. SUVs, unsurprisingly, dominated overall sales, comprising 60 percent of the total.
However, in FY2025’s last quarter (Q4), which ended in March, Mercedes’ retail sales fell by 11.8 percent to 4,775 units. The brand attributes this to the decline of the entry-level segment; its TEV segment grew by 6 percent in the same period.
40 percent year-on-year growth
Defender was highest selling model
Jaguar Land Rover sold 6,183 units in FY2025, a whopping 40 percent YoY growth. The company said this was its best-ever sales performance in the 17-year stint it has had in India. JLR India has witnessed strong growth, with annual retail sales more than doubling in the last two years. The fully imported Defender was JLR’s bestselling model, recording a strong 90 percent on-year growth. Meanwhile, the locally assembled Range Rover and Range Rover Sport SUVs also saw strong growth of 72 percent and 42 percent, respectively.
The Defender saw 90 percent year-on-year growth in FY2025.
In Q4, JLR’s retail sales of 1,793 units were up 110 percent YoY, and dispatches rose 118 percent to 1,710 units – the highest ever in a quarter.
19 percent year-on-year growth
NX SUV has been company’s best-seller
Although Lexus India hasn’t given out a specific sales number, the company said it recorded a robust 19 percent on-year growth in FY2025. Meanwhile, Q4 also saw a strong 17 percent growth over the same period in the previous financial year, driven primarily by the Lexus NX SUV. The company also said the LM MPV has been in strong demand. Meanwhile, in March 2025, Lexus India recorded its highest-ever monthly sales to date, primarily on the back of the NX and RX SUVs.
BMW and Audi haven’t revealed their entire FY2025 sales data, but both companies have shared the numbers for Q4.
The 5 Series LWB was the brand's bestselling sedan in Q4 FY2025.
BMW Group retailed a total of 3,914 cars (3,764 units of BMWs and 150 Minis) in the last quarter of FY2025, witnessing a 7 percent YoY growth. Of this, 646 units were EVs (BMW and Mini combined), a surge of 206 percent. The company said the new 5 Series LWB was its highest-selling sedan in this period, and other long-wheelbase models – 3 Series, 7 Series and iX1 – are also seeing strong demand. Meanwhile, SUVs made up 55 percent of BMW’s Q4 sales, with 2,079 units sold.
Audi India’s Q4 sales rose 17 percent YoY to 1,223 units. The company's pre-owned car business, Audi Approved Plus, also showed significant growth with a 23 percent increase. Popular models driving the sales include the Q7 and Q8, while the newly launched RS Q8 is sold out until Q3 2025.