The Cayenne and Macan contribute over 70% of our India sales: Porsche India Director Pavan Shetty

German sports car manufacturer Porsche launched the latest version of its 911 model in India on Wednesday. Priced between Rs 1.42 crore and Rs 2.66 crore (ex-showroom Delhi), the sports car is the fastest 911 in the company’s history.

Currently Porsche’s India lineup is priced in the range of Rs 1-3 crores with multiple versions of the Cayman, Cayenne, Macan, Boxter, 911 and Panamera

The company is planning to add two more showrooms at Chennai and Hyderabad in the coming months to add to its existing six outlets across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Kochi.

Business Insider caught up with Porsche India Director Pavan Shetty on the sidelines of the new 911 launch to discuss more about the company’s presence in the country.

Expectations from the new 911.
The legacy of 911 is well-known. It’s the most important product in our portfolio. It’s our oldest product, and has been existing since 1963. It helps defines our product lineup, and we’re able to leverage its reputation for the entire brand.

The primary reason for the new 911’s launch here is to enhance the brand image here.

This one features major technological improvements over the last one. It’s the fastest 911 ever built. The new 911 Turbo can now do 0-100kmph in just 2.9 secs. The fuel efficiency is up by 12%, and there are a host of new features as well.
In terms of volume, 911 contributes around 8-10% to our overall volume. We’re looking to go above and beyond that in India.

Investment in upcoming showrooms in Hyderabad and Chennai.
We’re still at an evaluation stage. We’re trying to figure out a business case based on the expected demand. Basis that we’ll come to an investment figure.

Rub off effect of the diesel ban.
We have diesel options for the Cayenne and Panamera. While they are not allowed to be registered in the NCR region as per the last Supreme Court ruling, the good thing for us is that we don't have the reputation of selling diesel cars particularly.

Porsche buyers choose fuel options based on their requirements, but we don’t have a reputation based on the fuel options we offer.
Having said that, the diesel ban has been discouraging to sales. The question really is not what to buy, but when to buy. We could see some delay in delivery, but as a brand we are deft to adjust to this market environment. We can support the market with petrol or diesel in just 3 months time now.

Macan riding India’s compact SUV craze.
The Cayenne and Macan contribute over 70% of our India sales. This is in line with the global sales trends. In a country like India where size matters, our SUVs are quite well accepted. We have a new version of the Macan coming up later this year. It will add a new feather to our already strong SUV lineup.

Evolution of the luxury car market in India
Porsche has been in India since 2012. We see a positive trend and a bright future here.

The super-luxury car market is still nascent in India. The good news is its fast evolving, and that’s because of the Internet and our well-travelled customers. They are quite aligned to the global trends and their expectations are realistic.