Mercedes Benz CL550 4MATIC1

Filed under: Audi, India, Luxury By the end of this decade, India is expected to be one of the top three car markets in the world, but automakers are already starting to duke it out for sales. In terms of premium brands, Automotive News says that Audi has jumped out to an early lead for sales in the country due in large part to the recent introduction of the Audi Q3 (shown above). In 2012, Audi's sales increased 43 percent, rising to 9,350 units and outselling BMW (8,686) and Mercedes-Benz (7,015), both of which experienced a drop in sales last year of 9.5 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively. While none of these sales figures are particularly significant on a global scale, the article says that the market for premium cars in India is expected to quadruple by 2020 up to around 120,000 units. AN attributes Audi's lead to its offering of new SUVs while its rivals have been focusing on small hatchbacks.Audi passes BMW as top luxury brand in India originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A two-day wildcat strike at a Mercedes Benz plant in South Africa ended on Tuesday but industrial union NUMSA demanded a hefty pay hike for the sector, raising the prospect of labour unrest in factories alongside turmoil in the mines. The German luxury car maker said Friday's unscheduled walkout had nothing to do with wage demands but the stoppage served as further evidence of the fragility of labour relations in Africa's biggest economy, hitting the rand. The currency tumbled for its ninth straight session, breaching the 9. ...