Mercedes-Benz India Unveils New Campaign To Tackle Lockdown Blues

Mercedes-Benz India, one of the largest luxury car manufacturers in India, has begun a new campaign for its Indian customers that aims at connecting with the customer sentiments and inspiring them to unlock themselves, explore new journeys, new experiences and recreate the moments of the excitement of owning a new Mercedes-Benz. The new marketing campaign will last through the festive period.

Martin Schwenk, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India said, “Customers are at the centre of all our activities and it remains our endeavor to listen to their wishes and aspirations and keep them excited with our products and brand offerings. The essence of the ‘Unlock with Mercedes-Benz’ campaign is to revive the customer sentiment by inspiring them to unlock their desires, aspirations and their dreams; enabling them to undertake new journeys, new roads and discover new adventures with a Mercedes. We introduce this campaign with the aim of unlocking these aspects of a customers’ aspiration, which they have been missing out. This campaign will assist customers with financial and ownership solutions as well, which have been curated specifically to ‘Unlock’ the desires and aspirations. We are confident the campaign has compelling choices for aspiring customers to drive home a select range of Mercedes-Benz models this festive season.”

Schwenk further adds, “As markets gradually unlock with the onset of the festive season, this is also the time when customers want to celebrate and we are optimistic this in-turn will drive market sentiments. At Mercedes-Benz India, we are unlocking across markets, following all the social distancing protocols and adhering to all safety and sanitization measures. We are confident ‘Unlock with Mercedes-Benz’ will enable the aspirants to pursue their aspirations and unlock their dream of owning a Mercedes; which remains the most luxurious, safe, laden with intuitive and connected technology. With ‘Unlock with Mercedes-Benz’ a Mercedes remains the next best place away from home.”

The benefits for the new customers in the campaign are listed below:
C-Class: EMI starting 39,999 | ROI @ 7.99% | New Star in 3 years | Complimentary first year insurance
E-Class: EMI starting 49,999 | ROI @ 7.99% | New Star in 3 years | Complimentary first year insurance
GLC: EMI starting 44,444 | ROI @ 7.99% | New Star in 3 years | Complimentary first year insurance 

Mercedes-Benz India has extended some of its key connected safety features for 24x7 availability:

Breakdown Management: If a driver has a vehicle issue mid-trip, a button on the overhead control unit will connect him/her to a Roadside Assistance agent. The vehicle's exact location and status will be transmitted to the agent, who will then dispatch Roadside Assistance. Information from the driver and from the vehicle's diagnostics technology will allow the service agent(s) to arrive at the correct location fully prepared to either repair or tow the vehicle.

Emergency Call Services: The Mercedes-Benz Emergency Response Centre, operated by Bosch, can be reached either (1) by pressing the "SOS" button in the vehicle, or (2) automatically, when the vehicle's collision sensors have detected a serious accident. In both cases, vehicle data – e.g. location, direction of travel and number of passengers, etc. – is transferred to Bosch, allowing Response Centre agents to quickly and efficiently help the customer. Rescue measures are initiated immediately after an accident to expedite the deployment of Roadside Assistance and to allow injured drivers/passengers to be treated as quickly as possible.

Information Call and me Call Services: With the touch of a button in the vehicle, any general or Mercedes me connect-related inquiries may be directed to the Mercedes-Benz Customer Assistance Centre. Mercedes me connect-capable vehicles will be equipped with either a ‘me call’ button or an iCall and Wrench button. These call buttons will route the driver to the appropriate call centre, whether it's Roadside Assistance or Mmc (Mercedes Me Call) Support.

Force Motors Posts Best-Ever Third-Quarter Performance

Force Motors Posts Best-Ever Third-Quarter Performance

Force Motors Limited reported its strongest third-quarter performance to date, with double-digit revenue growth and sharply higher profit margins for the three months ended December 31 2025, extending its record run in the 2025–26 financial year.

The Pune-based vehicle maker recorded standalone revenue of  INR 21.55 billion in the quarter, up 13 percent year on year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose 63 percent to INR 4.01 billion, while profit before tax, excluding exceptional items, increased 91 percent to INR 3.28 billion.

Including exceptional items, profit before tax rose to INR 5.39 billion, more than three times the level a year earlier, while profit after tax climbed 266 percent to INR 4.03 billion. The company reported no debt at the end of the quarter.

For the first nine months of the financial year, revenue rose 14 percent to INR 65.83 billion. EBITDA increased 43 percent to INR 11.45 billion, while profit before tax after exceptional items nearly doubled to INR 11.42 billion. Profit after tax for the period rose 153 percent to INR 9.38 billion.

Domestic volumes grew 25 percent during the nine-month period, supported by demand across the Urbania, Traveller, Gurkha (defence variants), Monobus and Trax platforms. Export volumes increased 30 per cent year on year, led by growth in light commercial vehicles, special vehicles and utility vehicles.

The Traveller platform-maintained segment leadership, with market share consistently above 70 percent, the company said.

Prasan Firodia, managing director of Force Motors Limited, said, “The performance in the third quarter reflects steady demand across our core product segments and improved operating leverage as volumes have scaled through the year. Growth has been broad-based, supported by continued traction in shared mobility, defence-related applications, and export markets.”

He added that demand visibility remained healthy in intra-city and inter-city passenger mobility, with institutional and fleet customers continuing to prioritise purpose-built platforms.

“Given the momentum we have gained and with Q4 underway, we are confident of closing the year on a strong note and delivering our best financial performance to date,” Firodia said.

Dacia Rolls Out 100,000th Bigster In Just One Year

Dacia Rolls Out 100,000th Bigster In Just One Year

Renault Group-owned European car brand Dacia has achieved a significant milestone with the rollout of the 100,000th Bigster just one year after its production began at the Mioveni facility in Romania. This impressive volume highlights the immediate and substantial demand for the brand's latest model. Even prior to its full market launch, the vehicle garnered over 13,000 pre-orders, signalling strong early interest in its proposition of a value-oriented, family-sized SUV.

The model swiftly translated this initial promise into market leadership, becoming the best-selling C-SUV to retail customers across Europe in the second half of 2025. This commercial success is mirrored in the United Kingdom, where close to 5,000 orders have been recorded. British buyers have shown a distinct preference for the efficient hybrid 155 powertrain and the generously specified Journey trim level, with Indigo Blue being the colour of choice.

Beyond sales figures, the Bigster's impact has been validated by influential industry awards, most recently at the 2026 What Car? Car of the Year Awards, where it was hailed as a definitive value champion. Designed to challenge the status quo, the Dacia Bigster, starting from GBP 25,215, successfully delivers a robust, well-equipped and practical solution for families, firmly establishing its successful position in the competitive automotive landscape.

Hyundai Motor India Reports INR 123 Billion Profit In Q3 FY2026

Hyundai Venue N-Line

Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) has released its unaudited financial results for Q3 FY2026 and nine months ending 31 December 2025.

The company reported a Profit After Tax (PAT) of INR 123.44 billion for Q3, representing a 6.3 percent increase YoY. Revenue for the quarter reached INR 1,797.35 billion, up 8 percent compared to the same period last year. EBITDA stood at INR 2,018.3 billion, a 7.6 percent rise, supported by festive demand and the implementation of GST 2.0.

The company stated that the domestic demand was supported by wholesale volumes increasing 5 percent QoQ. The Hyundai Creta recorded sales of over 200,000 units in the 2025 calendar year, while the new Venue model has received nearly 80,000 bookings to date.

Hyundai Motor India also entered the commercial mobility segment with the Prime HB and SD taxi models. Exports grew by 21 percent YoY in Q3 FY26, accounting for 25 percent of the total sales mix.

For the nine-month period, EBITDA reached INR 6,632.5 billion, a 3.3 percent increase. EBITDA margins expanded to 12.8 percent, up from 12.5 percent in the previous year, despite costs related to capacity stabilisation and commodity prices.

Tarun Garg, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, said, “The third quarter performance underscores our resilience and strong execution of 'Quality of Growth' strategy, marked by healthy growth in volumes, revenue and profitability. Notably on a year-to-date basis, EBITDA margins expanded to 12.8 percent as against 12.5 percent last year, supported by our efforts towards improving sales mix and prudent cost control measures. As we move ahead, the robust January’26 sales number gives us great momentum towards a healthy 2026.”

Particulars

Q3 FY26

Q2 FY26

Q3 FY25

9M FY26

9M FY25

Revenue

179,735

174,608

166,480

518,472

512,526

EBITDA

20,183

24,289

18,755

66,325

64,211

EBITDA %

11.2%

13.9%

11.3%

12.8%

12.5%

PAT

12,344

15,723

11,607

41,759

40,259

Jeep Reaffirms India Commitment With Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0

Jeep

Stellantis-owned Jeep has announced its Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0, positioning India as a central hub for its operations in the Asia Pacific region. The plan focuses on localisation, manufacturing depth, and export expansion from the company's facility in Ranjangaon, Pune.

As part of the strategy, Jeep intends to increase localisation levels to 90 percent, up from the current 65–70 percent. This move is aimed at strengthening supply-chain resilience and cost competitiveness. The Ranjangaon plant, which has an annual capacity of 160,000 vehicles, currently exports the Compass, Meridian, and Commander to markets including Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Plans are underway to expand exports to Africa and North America.

The company plans to introduce a new vehicle lineup in India starting from 2027. In the interim, Jeep will maintain its current portfolio through refreshes and special editions. To support its customers, the brand has introduced the Confidence 7 programme, which includes a buyback scheme, pre-maintenance packages, and extended warranties.

At present, Jeep operates over 85 sales and service touchpoints across 70 cities in India. The automaker stated that in 2025, the Wrangler Willys 41 limited edition sold out within seven days. The company is also focusing on its owner community, which has reached 100,000 members, through experiential platforms and brand clubs.

Shailesh Hazela, CEO & Managing Director, Stellantis India, said, “Jeep’s 85-year legacy is built on authenticity and adventure. Strategic Plan Jeep 2.0 lays out how we will sharpen our product strategy and strengthen the customer experience year after year, driven by deeper localisation, global product alignment, expanding our vehicle offerings, and programs that deliver real value. We are equally focused on taking care of our existing customers, ensuring they receive the support, service and confidence they expect from Jeep. Success in India demands resilience and long-term commitment and we are investing with that clarity to ensure Jeep remains a brand of pride and desirability.”