The Luxury Car Revolution: Customization Meets Personalization
Pune: Real estate developer Nitin Bagadia relived the excitement of buying his first small hatchback years ago when he drove his new BMW electric vehicle — worth over Rs2 crore — from the city to his hometown in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar recently. However, this isn't his first luxury vehicle, but this time he wanted more than the standard model. He spent an additional Rs20 lakh specifically for a dual-tone exterior.
"My family wanted a black car, yet an all-black vehicle is considered inauspicious. To balance this, we opted for a dual-colour combination of black and grey," said Bagadia.
Bagadia represents a growing trend among high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) who are driving the demand for luxury cars, a sector clocking more than 10% annual growth. Today's buyers are opting not just for physical customisations but also digital modifications tailored to the specific needs of their families. According to three major luxury car manufacturers in India, the typical spend on customisation ranges from ₹50 lakh to ₹60 lakh for a vehicle with a base price of over ₹1.5 crore. In some cases involving ultra-rich buyers, the cost of add-ons equals the cost of the car, pushing the total price of top-end models to as high as Rs5 crore.
Examples of this trend are becoming increasingly common. An Audi buyer in Bhubaneswar recently selected 17 customisations—the highest ever for Audi India—including a specific green paint priced at over Rs12 lakh. Similarly, a buyer from Coimbatore spent Rs36 lakh on a styling package that included a carbon fibre roof, all-black styling elements, and Matrix LED laser lights. "Some of the features buyers opt for include internal decks and headlights studded with Swarovski diamonds, Merino sheep leather seats sourced from Italy, and 32-inch televisions with recliner seats," said Leander Dmello, an executive at a BMW showroom. Another executive noted that an eminent industrialist in Pune bought three top-end luxury cars, one for each family member. To ensure exclusivity and prevent confusion among his staffers, he customised each car in a different colour.
"Today, luxury car buyers are seeking deeper personal expression, which is driving strong demand for both physical and digital customisations," said Balbir Singh Dhillon, head, Audi India. "Customers are willing to invest more in features that enhance comfort and individuality, opting for higher trims, exclusive materials, and advanced technology."
Manufacturers are going the extra mile to facilitate these choices. Mercedes-Benz India, for instance, sends a mobile customisation kit to the buyer's home or office. This kit, which itself costs nearly ₹10 lakh, contains leather and paint samples, allowing clients to touch and feel Nappa leather and view upholstery options firsthand.
For digital customisation, the kit includes an online car configurator where buyers can experiment with settings.
"The key insight is that consumers want a truly personal car," said Santosh Iyer, MD & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India. "They want the seats to match their home décor, or perhaps they want alloy wheels in a specific configuration to match the exterior. They want it to be distinctive." Iyer acknowledged that while some requests might seem unusual, the brand respects the buyer's vision. "There are a lot of unique customisations people opt for. For us, a certain colour choice might look ‘weird', but it may be lucky for the buyer or hold sentimental value. It is not for us to question that taste," he added.
