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Wait gets longer to own a Maruti car
The 13-day strike at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar Plant has resulted in long queues of consumers waiting to own a car.
The 13-day strike at Maruti Suzuki’s Manesar Plant has resulted in long queues of consumers waiting to own a car. Many buyers have asked to wait for at least two months to get the car of their choice since production came to screeching halt at the plant during the strike by workers.
Deliveries of cars affected mainly include Swift, A-star, SX4 and Swift DZire, with a majority being the diesel variant. On an average, the plant rolls out about 1,200 units every day in two shifts.
An HT correspondent visited two Maruti Suzuki car showrooms and also spoke with customers there apart from the salesmen to ascertain the actual delivery situation.
Moreover, the situation is likely to worsen in the days to come when Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) plants would shut down for mandatory weekly maintenance. While the Gurgaon-based plant would be produce no cars for 8 days (June 16 to 26), dates for the Manesar factory are yet to be decided following the recent strike.
The two main car dealers of Maruti Suzuki in Gurgaon — PASCO and Apra — are offering many packages, including exchange offers, but a consumer will have to wait for at least two months.
When an HT correspondent visited the PASCO showroom as a customer, the salesman said, “We can only the SX4 automatic VXI model right away on cash down or loan. We will try and get the car you want with your choice of the colour in two weeks. However, we cannot guarantee delivery as the waiting period can stretch to more than two months also.”
The salesmen at Apra also asked consumers to wait for at least three weeks because of the delay caused by the strike.
A Joshi, a customer at Apra, said, “I have to buy a car for my son so that he can travel to his workplace. I have the loan and other papers ready, but the delivery period is too long. I am thinking of a Hyundai or Volkswagen now.”
Moreover, a MSIL official also admitted that the waiting period for the cars in specific categories has gone up following workers’ strike at the Manesar plant. “But the impact would take little time to dilute as the strike has ended,” he added.
