Ministry of External Affairs places order for 55 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz on Thursday said India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has placed an order to lease 55 top of the range E 250 CDI luxury sedans.

The high-end sedans will be used by the visiting foreign dignitaries of ministries including the head of states, presidents, prime ministers and top diplomats, it said in a statement.

Mercedes has so far sold over 30,000 units of the E-Class in India and is the first luxury car to be produced in India since 1995. It also remains, by far, the largest selling luxury car model in the country today, the firm added.

Mercedes-Benz India CEO and Managing Director Roland Folger said the company has always been the preferred luxury brand for Head of States across the globe including India.

"The mandate from the MEA opting for the E-Class luxury sedan is a reiteration of the inherent strength of our product and of the unsurpassable brand equity that Mercedes-Benz commands in the Indian luxury car market," he added.

The German luxury car maker posted a 34% increase in sales in India during January-September at 10,079 units, which is almost equal to the entire volume it sold in 2014.

The firm attributed the growth to CLA, C-Class and the E-Class sedans, which spearheaded the sales volumes coupled with strong performance from the SUV portfolio.