Porsche India logs sales of over 400 sports cars in 2016

NEW DELHI: German sports carmaker Porsche sold over 400 cars in India last year, and said that the company will further expand its retail presence in the country as it adds to its product portfolio.

The company drove in two mid-engine sports cars in the market, the 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster, adding to a range that includes Cayenne and Macan SUVs, Panamera sedan and 911 sports.

Pavan Shetty, Director for Porsche in India, said that the company expects sales in the country to witness a gradual growth as it makes deeper inroads through new dealerships.

The company is a part of the Volkswagen group, and started self-owned operations in India in 2012, when it disbanded an importer-led sales model.

Shetty said that the company will soon open a new dealership in Kochi, adding to its retail presence that is spread across Gurgaon, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Bangalore. “We will not stop at this. As and when new opportunities come up, we will surely look at further increasing our presence.”

While the 718 Cayman roadster is priced at Rs 81.6 lakh, the Cayman coupe will cost Rs 85.5 lakh (both ex-showroom Delhi).

The models deliver the same performance, as the 2-litre engine powering them has a strength of 300 horse power and a maximum torque of 380 Newton metres. The top-end versions race from zero to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and have a top speed of 275 km/h.

Deesch Papke, CEO of Porsche Middle East and Africa, said that India has a long-term potential, though actual sales here are quite a long distance from the volumes realised in key markets such as China, US, and the western European region.

The company sold nearly 2.4 lakh units globally last year, and at 65,000 units, China was the single-biggest market.

“The Indian buyers are as well discerning as those in any other market. The majority of them are businessmen who are in their early forties,” Papk

source”cnbc”