Mercedes-Benz inaugurates its second new outlet in Madhya Pradesh

The German luxury carmaker is spreading its wings across India. Mercedes-Benz has inaugurated their latest dealership, Benchmark Cars, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The showroom was inaugurated by Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India and Sanjay Thakker, Chairman Benchmark Cars.

Kern stated, "The fascination for luxury cars has been fuelling the demand for Mercedes-Benz cars in Madhya Pradesh. The inauguration of this facility with Benchmark Cars in Bhopal is part of our qualitative network expansion across the country and will be instrumental in reaching out to our growing customer base in and around Bhopal."

A Mercedes dealership in Bhopal draws attention to the fact that luxury car makers are now expanding aggressively into non-metro centres to grow their sales. Mercedes-Benz had opened up a car outlet in Raipur, Chhattisgarh earlier last month, and also in cities such as Rajkot and Vadodara in Gujarat in 2013.

Audi added non-metro cities such as Lucknow, Bhubaneswar and Karnal to its network. This can be foreseen as a logical step after the recent introduction of lower priced entry-level alternatives from these car makers. New products such as the Mercedes A- and B-class have brought the luxury marque closer to current Honda, Toyota and Skoda owners, and not just in tier one cities but even in markets where so far luxury cars had no hold.

The focus on top cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai, which used to contribute about 60 per cent of luxury car sales, is slowly shifting. The national capital and Mumbai now account for only 45 per cent of the combined sales volume of Audi, Mercedes Benz, BMW and Jaguar-Land Rover.

The new showroom located in the automobile hub of Bhopal sprawls a good 11,000 sq ft and has an accessory and collection display. Leasing, finance and insurance options are available from Daimler Financial Services. The new showroom will cater to the demands of luxury car enthusiasts’ in Bhopal and adjacent cities such as Gwalior and Jabalpur.