As the festive fever caught up in India with the advent of Diwali, so did the introduction of a series of car launches by two of the big players of auto industry - Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. Where Hyundai launched its Elite i20, Maruti Suzuki went ahead with introducing three cars- Ciaz, a new entrant in the sedan segment along with Swift facelift and next gen Alto K10.
In a couple of months, the Indian consumers have been bombarded with a choice of technologically sound and beautifully crafted cars at a price range of INR.3.5 lac to INR.7.5 lac. This started a series of high number of bookings for all these cars which in turn increased their waiting period. In general cases where a consumer books a car and gets it from the dealer either in a week or less, here the minimum waiting period has seen touching 20-25 days extending up to four months.
Hyundai Elite i20
Call it a facelift or next generation i20, it is getting excellent response in the market. Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 is the design technology which has been used in Hyundai Elite i20 with price tag in the range of INR.4.89 to INR 7.5 lac, the model has a wider and bolder stance than its previous sibling. Available in petrol and diesel versions, this car has already touched a figure of more than 8000 units being rolled out in the month of October itself. A desired hatchback from people of all generations, the model comes with a waiting period of 25-45 days depending upon the location. Moreover, where metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi are witnessing a longer waiting period of 2 -3 months, cities like Jaipur and Chandigarh get a lesser waiting time of 20 to 25 days.
Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
A new entrant by the largest carmaker of India, Maruti Suzuki Ciaz ranges between INR.6.9 lac to INR.10 lac. The price tag hasn’t hindered the demand for the car with more than 6000 units being rolled out in October itself. With more bookings under way, big cities such as Mumbai and Delhi are seeing a waiting period of 2-3 months while in cities like Jaipur and Chandigarh, waiting time is 3 to 4 months.
Maruti Suzuki Swift facelift and Alto K10
Though the face lifted Swift hasn’t seen any major changes in the new version, it is none the less a favorite among generations new and old alike. Coming from a trusted manufacturer, consumers continue to bind their allegiance to the new Swift as they had with the outgoing model. The car attracts almost no waiting time and in other cases a waiting time of mere 15-20 days. The sales have been evidently on rise with more than 11,000 units being sold in October alone.
Alto K10 has been garnering fresh sales, thanks to company’s introduction of Auto Gear Shift version of the car. While the manual gearbox enabled model is readily available with the dealers across, it’s the AGS version which is high in demand and which is attracting a waiting period of 1 to 2 months. Being the most budget friendly automatic car in the segment especially for those aiming to buy their first car, consumers do not mind the waiting period.
While the base trims of almost all the cars are readily available with the dealers across India, it is the desired trim and the exact color requirement that is translating into this waiting period for these cars. The manufacturers are trying hard to meet the demands of the consumers with as small waiting period as possible. It is now just a game of wait and watch for the consumers.