For carmakers, the customer is well and truly the king. Beyond the traditional basket of goodies like discounts and easy finance options, they are going the extra mile by bringing the entire showroom to the buyer’s doorstep.

Take the case of Audi which is now touring 20 cities with its Audi Mobile Terminal (AMT). Introduced last year, the concept has a fully functional mobile showroom, complete with car on display, Audi Exclusive Elements and an Audi Lounge.

Joe King, Head, Audi India, said the company decided to build on the brand’s progressive design and advanced engineering qualities through an innovative customer engagement approach. Over the next six months, AMT is targeting over 5,000 customers across India, up from 1,200 in 2015.

On its part, Mercedes-Benz India has created a unique iPad app called 'designo', which allows patrons to customise their cars. Available at all dealerships, the app allows for exclusive paint finishes, hand-sewn leather upholstery, trims made from fine wood, or even lustrous natural stone. The customer also receives instant price quotes for the model to be customised.

In an email interview, Roland Folger, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, said customers are “highly knowledgeable on products, very active on social media and are highly tech-savvy”. He said the aim was to reach out to new customer groups with a host of initiatives.

Experiencing the luxury The company also relies on 'Luxe Drive' where buyers can drive the Merc of their choice across carefully crafted courses, taste signature dishes or even get styled with haute couture brands. Other experiential activities like AMG Performance Tours or content generation activities like 'Wish Upon a Star' help "in communicating clearly and reaching out to our audience”.

Yet another iconic German brand, Volkswagen engages with Beetle club owners and consumers. They enjoy the “timeless cult status, as the Beetle is an iconic, powerful, stylish and fun-to-drive car," said Kamal Basu, Marketing Head, Volkswagen Passenger Cars.

For better customer proximity, carmakers are setting up base in diverse regions. The recently launched Ford Mustang will be available in Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad. BMW Group India has strengthened its Kerala presence with its second dealership, EVM Autokraft which will supplement Platino Classic. Mercedes-Benz India inaugurated a showroom in Nagpur recently and has 10 new outlets planned for this year. Audi, meanwhile, has decided to up the ante in the Northeast and showcased its AMT last month in Siliguri. As King pointed out, "The Northeast is a focus area for us and we look forward to welcome new members to the Audi family."

While Italian luxury sports carmaker Lamborghini has seen a surge in demand for its cars from smaller towns like Agra, Bhubaneswar and Kochi, Nissan India has opened a dealership in Muzaffarpur, its second in Bihar.

Easier finance options are also critical in the customer wooing process. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services has schemes like Star Agility and Star Lease targeted at first time buyers. "Our tailor-made cost of ownership schemes further builds confidence in the minds of our consumers," said Folger.

According to him, the cost of ownership for its new generation cars portfolio is barely ₹1.99 per km. "The standard packages for the newly introduced GLC SUV starts at just ₹63,000 for the petrol variant and ₹78,000 for diesel. These new standard packages are offered with unlimited mileage, covering maintenance -related jobs," he added. 

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