BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Innova, Ertiga and others may not be an owned machine for many, but going with the trend of hiring one of these luxury cars, many middle class families are able to have a brush with affluence.
According to the cab and taxi services in the city, there is a definite increase in the number of luxury car rentals and the business is one to be in. According to Naveen, owner of Kanchana cab services, bookings for luxury cars have increased over the years. "We get over 10 bookings every week and the number of rentals on weekends are usually high."
According to Gaurav Aggarwal, founder of CEO of Savaari Car Rentals, these days youngsters prefer driving in luxury and style when they go for parties. "They generally opt to travel in premium cars. There has been an increase in demand for luxury cars by 30 to 40 percent since last year and this growth will continue in the coming years."
However, according to Gaurav, customers generally hire luxury cars to travel within the city limits. "Customers generally rent these cars for around eight hours. Since people hire for a day on special occasions, they do not mind spending extra money to make their journey and their day memorable and comfortable. The trend was on the rise from the second half of last year starting October till March, especially when the IPL fever was on," he explained.
A 29-year old IT professional, Chandrashekar said, "During important occasions like parties, birthdays, marriages and others it is important to gel with the upper class strata of society. Also, these cars are equipped with GPRS and other security measures. Besides providing luxury, these cars also ensure safety."
According to some cab service providers, increased economic activities in the recent years have led to the changing lifestyle and hence the demand to opt for comfort and style has increased.
Awareness and the ease of booking have also contributed in making this trend popular among the middle class.