Mumbai: The general car market in India may have reeled under the effects of a slowing economy in 2013, but it was a good year for luxury car makers.

Audi India ended 2013 with sales of 10,002 units, an increase of 11% over a year ago. And Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd ended the calendar year by selling 9,003 units, an increase of 32% over last year.

Both said the figures broke their previous records.

However, sales figures of the two German firms are not comparable in India—while Audi reports wholesale figures (despatches to dealers), Mercedes-Benz reports retail sales (sales to customers).

Car sales in India have been slow since the beginning of this fiscal year. Sales dropped 5% to 1.6 million units in the April-November period, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, as buyers postponed purchases amid a sluggish economy and due to higher ownership costs.

But luxury car makers, whose buyers are less susceptible to macroeconomic swings, have remained largely unaffected and been aggressive in their new model launches and dealership expansion drives. Such cars account for less than 2% of the total car market.

Audi claimed to have become the first-ever luxury car manufacturer in India to sell more than 10,000 units in a single year.

“2013 was a stellar year for Audi in India in terms of growth, expansion and performance. Our strong leadership is a result of our diverse product portfolio, network expansion, unique marketing activities and after-sales service at par with global standards," said Joe King, head of Audi India, in a statement.

Mercedes-Benz, too, said 2013 marked its best sales performance since entering the Indian market in 1994.

“We are very satisfied with our performance in 2013, which we called the ‘Year of Offensive’. We are happy that our new A-Class, new E-Class and the SUV (sport utility vehicle) portfolio saw robust demand amidst challenging market conditions," said Eberhard Kern, managing director and chief executive at Mercedes-Benz India.

Another luxury car maker BMW India Pvt. Ltd is expected to publish its annual sales figures on 6 January.

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