Jun. 29 – German luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz announced on Monday that it would be entering the pre-owned automobile business in India as the company tries to make their cars more accessible across the country by offering them at a lower price.

“Now we are bringing this to India to make the dream of many customers to own a Mercedes-Benz even more achievable,” Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India Wilfried Aulbur said at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday.

India will become a part of Mercedes’ Proven Exclusivity program that was introduced worldwide in 2009 and now operates in 35 countries. Under the pre-owned car sales program, prospective car buyers may be able to purchase a Mercedes-Benz C-Class model for as low as Rs. 1.5 million (US$32,000) whereas a new one would cost at least Rs. 2.6 million (US$56,000). Under the Proven Exclusivity Program, no car will be more than five years old and will not have exceeded 100 thousand kilometers.

“Comprehensive evaluation and refurbishment criteria, scientific tools for audit and inspection as well as manufacturer backed warranty go into the making of a certified Proven Exclusivity vehicle,” Aulbur said.

Six pre-owned Mercedes-Benz dealerships are now open across Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh and the auto manufacturer has announced that another six to eight outlets will be added by the end of the year.

Mercedes-Benz hopes that their pre-owned car business will provide the company with a surge in popularity and expects used cars to account for 10 to 15 percent of overall sales this year.

BMW overtook Mercedes-Benz last year as India’s top luxury car brand, with the former selling 3,619 automobiles against the latter’s 3,247 units.