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Maybach nears 50% of Mercedes-Benz India S-Class sales as wealthy buyers shrug off three 2026 price hikes
Mercedes-Benz India delivered 15,190 vehicles in January-September 2026, up 8%, with almost 50% of S-Class sales now Maybach. Top-end buyers kept trading up despite three price hikes in 2026, and 75% of top-end cars are customised.
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The numbers
Figures from Business Today,
| Q3 2026 retail sales: | 5,422 vehicles |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 sales growth over Q3 2025: | 6% |
| EQS SUV Maybach growth, January-September 2026: | 68% |
| Pending electric CLA customer orders: | 1,000-plus |
Why it matters for the brand
With Maybach near half of S-Class sales, 75% of top-end cars customised through MANUFAKTUR and three 2026 price hikes absorbed, dealers should put allocation and showroom effort into personalisation-led ultra-luxury selling rather than discounting, while keeping the 1,000-plus electric CLA buyers engaged through a delivery queue that runs to March 2027.
What to track next
- Full-year 2026 deliveries versus the +8% year-to-date pace
- Q4 retail growth compared with Q3's 5,422 (+6%)
- Any fourth price hike announced for 2026
- Maybach's share of S-Class sales holding near 50%
- Electric CLA delivery progress against the March 2027 timeline
Likely next moves
Our read of what comes next — analysis, not reported by the source.
- Mercedes-Benz India is likely to keep leaning on Maybach, the EQS SUV Maybach and MANUFAKTUR personalisation as its main lever for growth and margin.
- Expect Mercedes-Benz India to prioritise clearing the 1,000-plus electric CLA order backlog, which will not be fully delivered until March 2027, over taking many new orders for the model.
- Mercedes-Benz India may announce another price adjustment before year-end, since buyers have so far absorbed three in 2026.
- Rival luxury marques are likely to push their own ultra-luxury and customisation programmes to compete for the same wealthy buyers.
- Customers in the top segment will probably keep paying for bespoke options, while price-sensitive entry-luxury buyers are the ones more likely to defer purchases.