Super luxury car sales on rise with rich and famous lapping them up
Pune: The Indian appetite for super luxury cars is growing and the rich and famous and celebrities are lapping up top brands such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lotus and McLaren- which are experiencing robust demand in the local market.
Interestingly, the waiting period for the top-end luxury cars from Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi priced above Rs 2 crore also shows the growing appetite from buyers to flaunt their head turner limousines.
To tap this growing market, Rolls-Royce on Friday launched the updated iconic Cullinan Series II, its latest super-luxury SUV in India with a starting price of Rs 10.5 crore, while the Black Badge Cullinan Series II is tagged at Rs 12.25 crore.
At present Rolls Royce sells popular limousines and SUVs such as Phantom priced at Rs 8.99 crore, Ghost at Rs 6.95 to Rs.7.95 crore, and electric Spectre at Rs 7.50 crore from its two dealers at New Delhi and Chennai.
The Cullinan Series II, a refreshed world’s pre-eminent super-luxury SUV, is a strategic response to evolving luxury trends and the shifting preferences of Indian consumers.
Since a growing number of Rolls-Royce clientele now reside in metros and top cities, the Cullinan Series II has been tailored to appeal to successful entrepreneurial younger generation.
Modern design elements have taken inspiration from the sleek, vertical lines of illuminated skyscrapers, embodying a modern aesthetic, and featuring advanced technology, including an 18-speaker audio system.
The Black Badge Cullinan emerges as a more dynamic and sporty option for those desiring a more distinctive presence on the road. This version emphasizes boldness while maintaining the luxury for which Rolls-Royce is celebrated.
“The debut of Cullinan Series II in India represents a significant milestone for Rolls-Royce in the Asia Pacific region,” said Irene Nikkein, Regional Director Asia-Pacific, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.
Since its original launch in 2018, this remarkable motor car has attracted a younger and more diverse group of clients, and today Cullinan is the most requested Rolls-Royce in the marque’s portfolio, she noted.
Industry experts say over 1,000 -1,200 super luxury cars will likely be sold in the Indian market this year. In 2023, sales more than doubled to 1,000 units in the top-end car segment.
The Italian luxury sports car maker Lamborghini, which brought to India the Revuelto, its first super sports V12 hybrid model, at Rs 8.89 crore is sold out in India till 2026. About 25 per cent of customers of Revuelto are owners of Lamborghini Urus, while 20 per cent of purchasers are first-time owners.
In fact, Lamborghini has sold all car models allocated for the Indian market from its Italian headquarters for 2024. Its cars like Huracan, Urus and Revuelto are priced between Rs 5 crore and Rs 10 crore.
“India buys more than 250 cars priced above Rs 5 crore every year and this is only growing,” Satya Bagla, who owns three Exclusive Motors in New Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad told Financial Chronicle. He imports and sells Bentley and Lotus super luxury limousines which are tagged from Rs 5 crore to Rs 9 crore.
“I sell my ultra luxury cars in double digit,” Bagla said.
Former president of the Federation of Automobile Dealership Manish Raj Singhania the growing club of millionaires and billionaires, even from small towns, who own mines and companies and fantastic highway infrastructure with multiple lanes for speeding ultra luxury cars was fueling the super luxury car market.
“We are one of the world’s largest automobile markets, attracting all top luxury car brands and the rich and the famous are buying them to flaunt their status,” Singhania noted.