Arguably, the Indian automobile market has to be the most diverse market one would find anywhere on this planet. There are cars that start a little over Rs. 3.5 lakh and then there are cars that cost over Rs. 10 crore. Luxury Car Brands in India that were as rare as ostriches in Delhi back in the 1990s are now commonly seen around us. Where some luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, and Jaguar are more common than others like Bentley, Rolls Royce, and Lexus, they have all managed to sustain themselves in India’s demanding market.
Some of these brands offer more utility in terms of luxury and driving pleasure, while others offer a certain class and lifestyle in addition to the things offered by the entry-level luxury cars. With improved pay scales these days, more and more people are moving towards the luxury cars segment in order to stand apart from the crowd. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 luxury brands that are currently available in the Indian market, and the wide range they offer.
Mercedes-Benz
Probably, the most well-known luxury car brand available in the Indian market is Mercedes-Benz. After officially entering the Indian luxury car market in 1994, Mercedes has enjoyed its fair share of success on Indian roads. In 2022, around 37,500 luxury cars were sold in India, and out of those, Mercedes alone sold over 15,800 cars. The best-selling model for Mercedes in India is the E-class LWB.
Another reason for Mercedes’s success in India can be attributed to its diverse range of cars on offer. Where the A-Class is the most affordable Mercedes in India with a starting price of Rs. 42 lakh, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS SUV starts at Rs. 2.92 crore. Then there is the mighty G 63 AMG that starts around Rs. 2.5 crore, that is as much a status symbol as it is an icon. Being the first luxury carmaker to enter the Indian automobile market, Mercedes-Benz also enjoys an extensive dealership network across the country.
Audi
Another German luxury car brand that has made it big in India is Audi. After arriving almost 13 years after Mercedes, Audi gained a lot of popularity in a very short span of time. In the last 15 years of its existence in the Indian market, Audi has spread its wings for sure. In the calendar year 2022, Audi India sold 4,187 units. Similar to many other carmakers internationally, Audi has been struggling to bridge the gap between demand and supply due to the scarcity of semiconductors. Despite these hurdles, Audi has been capturing more and more of the market year after year.
The entry-level sedan – A4 – is the most affordable Audi one can buy in India. Where the Audi A4 has a starting price of Rs. 43.85 lakh, the RS Q8 SUV costs over Rs. 2.22 crore. For those who are in love with EVs, the availability of models like the e-tron, e-tron Sportback, and the e-tron GT with starting price ranging from Rs. 1.02 crore to Rs. 1.94 crore. For those who like to take things too far, the high performance RS models like the RS 5, the RS e-tron GT, and the RS Q8 deliver an unmatched performance when you press the accelerator too hard.
BMW
The third German giant present in the luxury car segment in India is none other than BMW. BMW entered the Indian market in January 2007, a few months before Audi, and has also managed to find its niche among the Indian buyers. Such has been the successful run of the BMW group in India that they made their 1,00,000th car in its Chennai plant sometime in March 2022. The success of BMW in India can be measured by the fact that the carmaker sold almost 12,000 units in 2022 alone. Out of the 11,981 unit sold by the BMW group, 713 were MINI cars.
Thanks to its extensive line-up, BMW offers cars across various segments including fully electric and plug-in hybrids. The performance-focused M Series cars are for those who crave that additional dose of adrenaline. The entry level SUV from BMW’s stable – the X1 – is the most affordable BMW money can buy (in India) with a price tag starting from Rs. 45.9 lakh. The most expensive offering from BMW comes in the form of its M Series plug-in hybrid SUV – XM – starting from Rs. 2.6 crore. The gorgeous M8 Coupé, with more than 630 PS of power, starts at Rs. 2.55 crore.
Jaguar
Another consistent player in the luxury car segment in India is the iconic British carmaker, Jaguar. As a standalone brand, Jaguar might not have as extensive a line-up as the Germans, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem for the British carmaker. Jaguar arrived on Indian shores in 2009, around one year after being taken over by India’s Tata Motors, and has been doing fairly well in terms of sales.
Currently, there are four Jaguar models that are on sale in India – the F-Pace, the I-Pace, the XF, and the F-Type. The F-Pace and the I-Pace represent Jaguar’s SUV lineup, with the F-Pace priced at Rs. 77.41 lakh being more affordable than the all-electric I-Pace at Rs. 1.2 crore. The most affordable Jaguar in India is the XF which starts from Rs. 71.6 lakh, and the most expensive model is the 5-litre F-Type that costs over Rs. 1.53 crore.
Volvo
This is a manufacturer which is known to make the safest cars internationally. Where Volvo’s sales figures are nowhere close to those of Mercedes or BMW, the Swedish carmaker doesn’t seem to mind it at all. After launching its first two cars – the S80 and the XC90 – back in 2007, Volvo has expanded its line-up steadily over the years. In order to maintain the top-notch quality of its cars, Volvo does not make its cars in India. However, it does assemble its cars here.
Currently, there are four SUVs, including one all-electric SUV, and one sedan that Volvo offers in India. Apart from the all-electric XC40 Recharge, all the other models are mild hybrids. Where the basic XC40 is the most affordable Volvo starting at Rs. 45.9 lakh, the top-of-the-line XC90 is priced at Rs. 96.5 lakh. The all-electric XC40 Recharge is one of the more affordable luxury EVs in the Indian automobile scene starting from Rs. 56.9 lakh.
Lexus
The luxury car brand of the Toyota Group, Lexus arrived in India fairly late in 2017. Even today, Lexus assembles only the ES in India, and all the other models – NX, RX, LX, LS, and LC – are still imported. Lexus is taking it slow and hopes to soon start assembling more models at the Toyota facility near Bengaluru. This might result in the pricing being extremely competitive as compared to the other big players in the luxury car market here in India.
Lexus offers eight models in India, spread between SUV, Sedan, and Coupé segments. Two new RX SUV models – 350h and 500h F Sport Performance – are to be announced soon with their prices. Where the NX 350h Exquisite is the most affordable Lexus SUV starting at Rs. 66.3 lakh, the LX 500d costs a whopping Rs. 2.82 crore. The entry-level sedan ES 300h Exquisite is available for Rs. 61.6 lakh, where the LS 500h is the most expensive sedan at Rs. 1.96 crore. The only two-door coupé is the LC 500h whose price starts from Rs. 2.29 crore.
Land Rover
Land Rover is another iconic British brand that Tata took over along with Jaguar back in 2008. As of now, Land Rover makes the Discovery, Discovery Sport, Evoque, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Velar in its Pune plant. This has helped Tata Motors to keep the pricing of the models competitive. This is evident considering the number of Land Rovers and Range Rover SUVs that are visible on Indian roads.
In India, there are seven offerings from Land Rover’s stable – Evoque, Velar, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Defender, Range Rover, and Range Rover Sport. Across all the models, there are endless trims to choose from with price ranges as vast as one can possibly imagine. The most affordable Land Rover is the Discovery Sport with prices starting at Rs. 71.39 lakh, and the Evoque costs slightly higher at Rs. 72.09 lakh. The Velar is priced at Rs. 89.41 lakh, and the Range Rover Sport is priced between Rs. 1.64 crore and Rs. 1.84 crore. The new Range Rover starts at Rs. 2.39 crore and goes all the way up to Rs. 4.17 crore. Where the Defender is priced from Rs. 91.8 lakh to Rs. 2.3 crore, the Discovery ranges from Rs. 93.9 lakh to Rs. 1.32 crore.
Porsche
One of the most legendary carmakers of all time globally, Porsche arrived on Indian soil sometime in 2004, and has been making waves here since. 2022 turned out to be the best year for the German carmaker as it sold 779 cars and SUVs. Interestingly, the only EV in Porsche’s Indian line-up – Taycan – accounted for 10% of the total sales Porsche made. Out of the remaining units, 399 were Cayennes. Porsche is going ahead with all guns blazing with its existing eight dealerships spread across the country. Out of these eight showrooms, three were opened in 2022 alone.
The most affordable Porsche in India is the entry-level SUV Macan which starts at Rs. 83.21 lakh. It’s more expensive cousin – the Cayenne SUV – starts at Rs. 1.27 crore. The two mid-engine sports cars – the 718 and the 911 – cost a little more with the 718 starting at Rs. 1.37 crore, and the 911 at Rs. 1.73 crore. Both the sedans – the Panamera and the Taycan – have starting prices similar to each other. Where the Panamera starts at Rs. 1.58 crore, the all-electric Taycan has a starting price of Rs. 1.53 crore.
Rolls Royce
Rolls Royce is a brand that has been unfairly put in this list with the other car brands we have mentioned earlier. It is a ‘super’ luxury car brand to say the least. Having no facility in India, all the Rolls Royce models come to India as imports which adds to the already high price of all of its models. Currently, there are five Rolls Royce dealerships in India in the cities of Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Hyderabad.
As of now, there are five Rolls Royce models being offered in our country – Ghost, Phantom, Cullinan, Wraith, and Dawn. The least expensive Rolls Royce in the Indian market costs more than the most expensive car we have mentioned earlier. Where the price of a Rolls Royce Wraith ranges between Rs. 6.22 and 7.21 crore, the Ghost ranges from Rs. 6.95 crore to Rs. 7.95 crore. A Cullinan starts from Rs. 6.95 crore, and the Dawn is from Rs. 7.06 crore to Rs. 7.64 crore. The ultra-luxurious Phantom starts at Rs. 8.99 crore and goes up to 10.48 crore.
Bentley
This is the only brand that can try to come close to Rolls Royce in terms of luxury and as a symbol of status. It is often said that a Rolls Royce starts where the best Bentley maxes out. That being said, Bentley is also known to make cars that ooze luxury but at a less severe price. Bentley is present in New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, with a dealership in each city.
There are five models to choose from – Bentayga, Bentayga EWB, Flying Spur, Continental GT, and Continental GTC. The price of the Continental GTC is between Rs. 3.4 crore and 3.9 crore, and the Flying Spur ranges from Rs. 3.2 crore to Rs. 3.4 crore. The Bentley Continental GT and Bentayga both start at Rs. 4.1 crore. The most expensive offering from Bentley in India is the Bentayga EWB that starts at Rs. 6 crore.
Also reads: Complete Guide to Buying a Mercedes-Benz GLA, Best Audi Cars in India, Best Land Rover Cars in India
