German carmaker, Mercedes-Benz which was one of the first premium carmaker set up branch in India, is bullish on the Indian market, according to Benz India Managing Director & CEO Wilfried Aulbur.

The company sold 2,401 cars between January and June 2010 with a rise of 79 per cent from the same six-month period in 2009. The company was the early entrant into the market is only recently being challenged by rivals like BMW and Audi.

Premium car maker, Mercedes-Benz announced the launch of its new sports car called SLS AMG on Friday in the Indian market.

The company had earlier showcased the car in during the Auto Expo 2010 at New Delhi. The super sports car is powered by a 6.2 litre engine and comes with speedshift sports transmission. The car can run at a top speed of 317 km per hour.

The world's largest Mercedes-Benz facility has been established in Abu Dhabi, underlining the importance of the emirate for the German automaker.

According to sources, the largest mixed-use Mercedes-Benz facility in the world will particularly place Abu Dhabi, which recently bought 9.1% stake in Daimler AG, on the global map for cutting edge automotive centres.

The sources further added that group's Emirates Motor Company (EMC) is the sole distributor for Mercedes-Benz cars in Abu Dhabi.