Fuel Economy Not As Big A Buying Criterion Anymore: Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki

Design, brand reputation and technology are also among the top criteria for buying a car

One of the primary car-buying criteria in the mass market is fuel efficiency. However, the country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, has found that fuel economy is no longer as significant a deciding factor when people set out to buy a new car.

According to Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director of Sales and Marketing, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, the percentage importance of fuel economy among the survey group has dropped from around 17 per cent five years ago, to around 13 per cent at present.

“Most vehicles now, because of the requirement for CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency), the mileage itself has increased across the board,” explained Srivastava. He mentioned that 20 years ago, people largely bought the Maruti 800 entry-level hatchback for its mileage even when it used to only do 10-12kmpl.

While that was considered very good at the time, today, the new Maruti Suzuki Brezza subcompact SUV, which has a 1.5-litre petrol engine with mild-hybrid technology, comes with an ARAI certified economy of 20.15kmpl.

Why does every brand have to focus on improving fuel economy?

The CAFE norms Shashank referred to in his earlier statement outline the upper limit of permissible CO2 emissions in units of gm/km. As a result, all carmakers have had to work on more fuel-efficient engines with lower emissions to meet these norms. Many have also stopped offering diesel engines altogether. Updating these engines makes the cars more expensive too, mainly affecting the mass market brands. That’s another reason why there is increased hybridisation (electrical assistance), CNG compatibility and even all-out electrification.

Related: Maruti To Introduce Strong Hybrid Tech Across Its Lineup

What are the other buying criteria?

The carmaker claims that its market research has identified design, brand, and now technology, to be among the top criteria for buying a car. All other criterias in its survey, including safety, scored a percentage importance of less than 13 per cent. That is why it seems the main focus of most carmakers has been toward offering larger screens and more connected tech, as opposed to stronger bodyshells for increased safety.

Fuel efficiency is still important

“It’s not as if mileage has become less important. I think it is taken now as one of the hygiene factors. Therefore, differentiation of car purchase based on mileage seems to have decreased. However, mileage still remains a very important criteria,” added Srivastava.

The executive director at Maruti Suzuki India, however, clarified that mileage is still among the top four criteria for Maruti to consider while developing a product for the mass market.

Also read: Maruti Registers Record Cumulative Sales Of 1 Million CNG Vehicles