Buyer preference: If it's the Swift, then it's got to be diesel, but if it's the Ritz, it has to be petrol. But why? MiD DAY explores a question that has left most auto enthusiasts puzzled
Buyer preference: If it's the Swift, then it's got to be diesel, but if it's the Ritz, it has to be petrol. But why? MiD DAY explores a question that has left most auto enthusiasts puzzled
EARLIER this year, Maruti Suzuki launched a compact car the Ritz. It was in the same price range and category as the company's already popular Swift.
Both cars are available in petrol and diesel options.
While both cars are selling almost the same numbers, more buyers prefer the diesel Swift and the petrol Ritz.
The cars actually have three-month wait lists in Bangalore. What explains the clamour?
Diesel (Rs 38 approx) is much cheaper than petrol (Rs 50 approx), but buyers still prefer the petrol Ritz. A petrol vehicle is cheaper than its diesel counterpart, but the diesel is cheaper to run.
A Maruti Suzuki official explains, "If a person is only driving 20 to 30 km a day, he should be looking at a petrol engine.u00a0 In this case, the money you would save with diesel fuel does not outweigh the cheaper price of the petrol engine.u00a0 But if you are driving longer commutes, say 80 to 100 km a day, the diesel engine ends up being cheaper in the long run."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0
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Indian buyers are smart with math and have realised that the price of the petrol Ritz is significantly lower than that of the diesel.
The petrol Ritz starts at about Rs 4 lakh (ex-showroom), while buyers would have to pay about Rs 80,000 more for the cheapest diesel model.
The diesel Swift, on the other hand, is only about Rs 40,000 more expensive than the petrol variant.
"If you are looking at just the cost of the two cars, the petrol Ritz is the obvious choice for most," said a Maruti Suzuki official.u00a0
The petrol Ritz also comes equipped with Maruti's new KB-Series engine, which is lighter, more powerful, and more fuel-efficient than the engines in the company's other vehicles.
Currently, the engine is only available on the Ritz and the A-Star, but Maruti says it will be available in other upcoming cars too.
Customers are drawn to the petrol KB-Series engine because of its better cost and mileage.u00a0
"Since the Ritz is a family car, most of its buyers are families travelling relatively short distances to school or work in the city. For them, the petrol Ritz is the smarter way to go," he theorised.
The Swift, on the other hand, is marketed more as a sporty compact car, so its buyers will tend to want the more powerful diesel engine.u00a0
The premium segment of compact cars has grown by 26 per cent every year for the last five years, according to the Business Standard.
Why the clamour?
Ritz petrol
>>Cheaper (diesel version costs Rs 80,000 more)
>>Savings on fuel don't justify premium for diesel model
ADVERTISEMENT
Swift diesel
>>Only Rs 40,000 more expensive than petrol
>>Delivers more mileage; diesel is cheaper anyway
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