Waiting periods have been stretched largely due to the fact that production has been affected in the last few months
To say that the BS6 era has been having a rocky start would be an understatement. The auto industry was limping to begin with and significant price increase associated with the emission upgrades further dampened the customer sentiment. The COVID-19 lockdown dealt another serious blow. However, things are gradually starting to move in the right direction with a cautious optimism.
Maruti Suzuki, the undisputed leader in the country’s passenger car space, witnessed its dispatch coming to a grounding halt in April 2020. The figures are ticking upwards at a steady pace since then and the automaker is modulating its production output accordingly.
Rushlane has come across a notification Maruti Suzuki has recently sent to its dealerships across the country, intimating the tentative waiting periods for the BS6 stocks of various models.
As per this letter, Maruti Swift BS6 waiting period now stands at 3-4 weeks as demand stands higher than the current supply. The hatchback continues to be one of the best selling models in the country. The Swift recently surpassed a significant sales milestone of 22 lakh units in the country, thanks to a stellar sales performance since its introduction in 2005. The BS6 version of the hatchback ditched the aging 1.3-liter DDiS diesel option and is now available only with the 1.2-liter petrol motor. A mid-life update with an upgraded DualJet version of this unit is on the cards.
The Maruti Dzire, Vitara Brezza and Ertiga have a tentative waiting period of 1-2 weeks. The automaker has been pushing CNG variants as a alternative to the diesel models which are now discontinued across the spectrum. Initial response from the customers for the CNG models has been positive as evident from their increased share in overall sales.
While several automakers are resorting to attractive discounts post COVID-19 lockdown to revive sales and deplete dealer-level stock, Maruti is in a relatively comfortable position of having a positive demand-supply balance. So, the company is not keen on offering huge discounts on its products in the near future. There are discounts on offer with select Maruti Suzuki cars, but they are not that big as compared to rivals.
While the pandemic and subsequent uncertainty in economic situation of the country has put pressure on the auto industry in short term, experts believe that the long term prospects after India recovers from the crisis will be positive. People’s aversion of public transport in a bid to adopt social distancing is expected to spur growth in sales of passenger cars and two wheelers.
