The British sportscar maker aims to launch entire range in India; emphasising on entry level model 540C
Famous British sportscar maker McLaren is all set to enter the Indian market next year and what’s more interesting is that the brand will offer its entire range in the country. India already has several iconic sportscar brands present here including Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin. McLaren is going to be the next brand to join the fraternity.
The country market has seen increased demand or the premium luxury cars and sportscars in recent past. Arrival of McLaren will further ignite that. The British marquee is betting big on its entry level model 540C that was unveiled at the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show. Overall, the brand has several models in its global lineup across four different categories that are – Sports Series, Super Series, Ultimate Series and Legacy.
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In India McLaren 540C is expected to be priced at around Rs. 2 crore (ex-showroom). The brand hopes to sell at least 10 units every year in the country. Currently, the segment is led by Italian supercar maker Lamborghini that sold 30 units in 2016 among 70 units of overall sales in the segment.
McLaren Automotive replaced the erstwhile McLaren Cars and apart from making road legal sports cars, the brand has a rich heritage in the Formula One as well. Partnered with Honda, the McLaren Honda team has achieved immense success in the world of Formula One. The team won driver’s championship title 12 times and 8 times it won the constructor’s championship title. In the last season the team finished at sixth position.
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McLaren’s India entry is a part of the British brand’s strategy to build business network in the emerging markets that also includes Brazil and Russia, where demand for sportscars have been increasing. Expect the brand to set up retail outlets in major cities across the country in order to reach its target.
The brand aims to sell up to 5,000 units per year by 2022. In that case, its target to sell 10 cars per annum in India doesn’t make any significant contribution to the global sales. But, expect the company to boost its sales gradually in domestic market. Considering the expectation of rapid growth in the Rs. 2.5 crore price segment in India’s supercar market, McLaren has a good chance to make fortune here.
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In 2016 McLaren experienced nearly double sales result compared to its 2015 retail figure. The company sold 3,286 units in 2016, while it registered 1,654 units in 2015. In coming years India is expected to play crucial role in the brand’s global sales map. Interestingly, the news comes just a few weeks after we reported about the arrival of two McLaren 720S models in India.
Source: Autocar India