Now over in India Maruti Suzuki, the India subsidiary of Suzuki has officially launched the Maruti Celerio Diesel. Now Maruti have basically a whopping 37% share of the passenger car market in India and the Celerio is a big thing to them. Something like a Proton Saga over here. Or Perodua Myvi. Or vice versa.
The diesel is powered by a new (Indian designed) 793 cc twin cylinder diesel engine. It delivers maximum power of 47 hp and 125 Nm torque. The claimed mileage figure stands at 27.62 km/l thus making Celerio diesel as the most fuel efficient car on offer in India. It is priced from Rs4.65lakhs - 5.71lakhs or RM27,278.44 to RM33,496.76. Cheap eh? You do get a lot of hard plastics inside but looks well equipped and decently comfortable. The styling outside is nothing to shout about as it looks like an uglier looking Suzuki Alto (or A-Star in India) due to more space utilisation and that it is specced and built to a low down price - note that even the seats have a one piece, fixed headrest design to save cost.
But this is not the cheapest car that Maruti has for the Indian market. This Celerio is just the latest car that Maruti Suzuki has in the Indian market. This diesel is the most probably the most efficient one sold over there now but the cheapest belongs to the Maruti Alto 800 - RS2.86lakhs or RM16,802. Of course, this is a car at its most 'primitive' or base level. It is not the Suzuki Alto that we see on our roads but something more basic that that. The Alto we get here is called the A-star over there. What may be acceptable for India would not be acceptable for Malaysia. A simple example would be the Toyota Avanza. Not many people actually buy that made for third world country MPV do they. A decade ago Malaysians went for the Avanza like a duck to water. But these days, you try ask any Toyota salesman. It isn't something we want anymore.
We usually end up buying cars that look decently good looks (with the exception of those buying the Nissan Almera who seem to buy a car based on the biggest butt, I mean boot in its class). This is why I think the Myvi outsells the Proton Saga as in base spec, the Saga looks like crap.I just hope the upcoming Saga replacement does not have that slightly dumpy looks of the current model.
And we also buy cars with some level of equipment. Seatbelts and airbags are mandatory but if you noticed, Malaysians do not bother buckling up so this isn't high on their list. What they want more are LED Daytime lights outside, a badge that says 'Honda', 'Toyota' or 'Perodua' and they are willing to buy it (with the exception of the Toyota Avanza I suppose). The price is the most important thing aside from Resale Value. It has to be affordable and has high RV. So they say. Buy the cheapest, most status giving badge with the highest resale value. They may as well as for free entrance to heaven also. But that's just Malaysians. So even the cheapest Perodua Axia at around RM24,437.16 onwards. Actually a bloody good car for the given price and equipment compared to what the Alto 800 has inside it (which to most of us is actually close to nothing).
Those over in India get RM16,000 cars to buy but get really shitty road conditions, ridiculous traffic, opposite way drivers, livestock on the roads, pushcarts, people crossing the roads everywhere, cows, elephants, bullock carts etc, pollution, overpopulation and a whole lot more stuff. We get a RM24,000+ car and look at our lifestyle. Whaddya think? Is life fair or not?
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