# Rupee fall drives luxury car price hikes, used car demand surges 2026-08-19T14:35:01+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet BMW India's pre-owned car sales surged 54 per cent year-on-year in the first half of 2026, as repeated price hikes on new luxury vehicles push buyers towards certified used cars. Mercedes-Benz India's used-car business also grew at a double-digit pace, while Audi India sold about 4,500 pre-owned cars in 2025, nearly one for every new Audi sold. The rupee has weakened about 19 per cent against the euro over nearly 20 months, forcing luxury car makers to raise prices repeatedly. Mercedes-Benz raised prices by up to 3 per cent in January and another 2 per cent in April this year. BMW increased prices by 2-3 per cent in January, followed by 2 per cent in April and July. Audi raised prices by up to 2 per cent in April. Dealers estimate prices have risen by Rs 3 lakh for some entry-level models and Rs 35-40 lakh for top-end cars over the past year. Audi India head Balbir Singh Dhillon said pre-owned operations allow the brand to serve customers in the Rs 30-60 lakh range, a segment rising new-car prices would otherwise force it to vacate. BMW India said forex movements remain a significant challenge. BMW's new-car sales rose 17 per cent in the first half of 2026, while its pre-owned business grew 54 per cent. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The luxury car market in India is small but high-margin, and its dynamics are a bellwether for currency-sensitive sectors. The rupee's sustained weakness against the euro means repeated price hikes are baked in unless the currency reverses. Certified pre-owned programmes are no longer a sideline, they are becoming the only way brands can retain customers priced out of new models. For Audi, its pre-owned network has grown from 7 outlets to 27 since 2020, indicating a structural shift. The key number to watch is whether BMW's new-car growth of 17 per cent can sustain through 2026 as prices keep climbing. ## Coverage - rediff.com Straight industry data and quotes from multiple brand executives, no editorialising. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Audi India, BMW India, euro, Mercedes-Benz India, rupee Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/rupee-fall-drives-luxury-car-price-hikes-used-car-demand-surges/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/rupee-fall-drives-luxury-car-price-hikes-used-car-demand-surges/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/