[Abhi99]

I have been trying to digest these prices for over hours now. Even though I can afford it but I do not see any value in it. Why should I pay so much for this car, what extra does it offer over Creta. No, dont get me wrong - I am not a fanboy of Creta. But going by the buzz it created and the wait period it has at the moment, I expect it to hold its value in the second hand car market while S Cross may find few takers if it gets branded as failure.

I dont understand the point in massive investment in Infra, advertising, building a sales team from scratch and then launching that entire bundle by calling it an experience and with the car that is not as Jazzy as Indian market generally cheers up to. The only good thing going about this car was the 1.6 engine and they have killed it before its launch. If I can get too extreme, I dont see them feeling the need of importing another batch of engines from Italy any time soon now.

How do you justify the 3 L diff between 1.3 & 1.6 ? Zauba reports the per unit values of about 90-95k for these engines. Put some tax figures ( lets say 50%) on top and the value translates to 1.5. Now 1.3 engine should have a production cost of about 30-40K ( I am not industry expert so just using my imagination for these numbers). So net diff in the 1.6 & 1.3 should come to about 1.1. Add the premium of about 90k on top and you get the pricing of 12.74.

I feel Maruti has just shot them in the foot by these prices. The whole saga of NEXA experience I hope doesnt only add to their losses. I feel sad for the company today for getting too greedy.

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by GTO

I feel especially sad at the overpriced 1.6L because it is a terrific engine, and few people will ever own or experience it now. With the explosive 1.6, the S-Cross feels more like a European car than Japanese. Too bad.



Due to its hefty weight, the 1.3 will offer poor performance (for a million buck car).



The S-Cross' price and position show why Maruti has never succeeded in the premium segment. It's not the product that's ever been wrong, it's the marketing and strategy.

True GTO. It's yours truly the strategy and marketing. Probably the Ciaz would have been better off to have started with the NEXA showroom. At least in India there is still a lot of premium attached to a boot.

I still can't forget the sales team with iPads connected via Apple TV presentations and then I get into the car and find that lousy toggle to change/reset the trip meter and to browse the MID. That's straight from an Esteem I owned in the 90s. One lady customer was actually asking the staff ,if the car was premium or the showroom. Lol.

The 200 DDIS could still be well worth the price, will have to reserve my comments till I dive it.

The 1.6 as you said is what I was really interested in. It's a superb offering. Now if only Fiat can put that into a Punto. Vow.

I am still going to test drive the 1.6, just for kicks.Hope NEXA will have one to drive.

[karanraheja]

Honda started the overpriced trend with the Jazz , Hyundai followed the path with the Creta and now MSIL takes the S-cross to another level.

IIRC the last time i saw a car with killer pricing it was the Ford with the Ecosport. Sad to see the way the Car Manufacturers treating the Indian Customers.

[NiInJa]

Can the mods please place a price comparison between this car and the Creta/Duster/Terrano/Safari in the first post ?
I am trying to understand if it makes sense to buy a Safari than the S-Cross (manufacturer's advantage not withstanding).

And what puzzles me more is that Maruti is going to sell THIS in Nexa showrooms, why ? I mean, the car is mechanically similar to other cars, nothing exclusive about it, her starting price doesn't deserve an exclusive showroom since it places the DDiS 200 in the same league as sedans.

[nikhil_d1106]

Originally Posted by Abhi99

How do you justify the 3 L diff between 1.3 & 1.6 ? Zauba reports the per unit values of about 90-95k for these engines. Put some tax figures ( lets say 50%) on top and the value translates to 1.5. Now 1.3 engine should have a production cost of about 30-40K ( I am not industry expert so just using my imagination for these numbers). So net diff in the 1.6 & 1.3 should come to about 1.1. Add the premium of about 90k on top and you get the pricing of 12.74.

While I cannot comment on the pricing of the engine. In your calculation you have to account for a 6% higher excise duty on the entire vehicle when moving from 1.3 litre to 1.6 litre engine in S-Cross

[jayded]

We apparently look like a bunch of guys with shopping bags being pushed out rudely from one showroom to another. Jazz, Creta, and now this. All we can do it stand outside the showrooms and crib in disappointment.

3L premium for an imported engine? Really Suzuki? You had one chance to hit the sweet spot with enthusiasts and shake the entire segment but you chose to scare people from the Nexa showrooms. Considering a lot of emphasis was given for the 1.6L, I don't see any honest efforts from Suzuki to price it competitively. Almost all the reviews online were of the 1.6L and suddenly it's priced out of reach for most looking at the S-Cross. Don't clearly understand the strategy that goes behind such decisions. 12.5L is what the 320DDiS should've topped at.

All i can think of now is:

[suzuki san]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

This car is doomed even before it is born. At this price and with those looks, only a blind man or a die-hard MUL fan will buy this car. A relative who went to check this car out came back mighty unimpressed. He says he would rather pick up an Ertiga over it at much less a price and with 7 seats. As for me, I wouldn't buy this car even at half its price but then it is me. I give FULL MARKS to looks and no matter how good a car is, if it ain't good looking then it ain't a car, for me.

Creta can breath easy. It look VFM now. And Ecosport seems like a basement bargain. If only Ecosport had a diesel AT. Or, Terrano had diesel AT ( not much fan of Duster, though).

Originally Posted by karanraheja

Honda started the overpriced trend with the Jazz , Hyundai followed the path with the Creta and now MSIL takes the S-cross to another level.

IIRC the last time i saw a car with killer pricing it was the Ford with the Ecosport. Sad to see the way the Car Manufacturers treating the Indian Customers.

Totally agree to all the above.
Even though I am a die hard Maruti fan - with 3 SX4's and now on my third Waggie - I would not buy this car at this price.
Looks like Maruti have shot themselves in the foot again with their "premium" offerings like Vitara, Kizashi etc. and now S Cross.
Guess I'll have to wait till the Cross appears on the Pre Worshipped pages.

Regards,
SS

[vivekh15]

This sentiments on this thread are beginning to exactly mirror those on the Creta thread at the time of the launch. Everyone is hugely disappointed at these prices, especially since it comes after the Creta and yet is priced more than the Creta (Creta top end 13.6L vs SCross top end 13.74L). None the less, despite the several cancellations that will follow, after about a week's time once the prices sink in, people will begin warming up to it and accepting it. I feel MUL will still get a huge number of bookings, much like the Creta has. More so because of the big time loyalty that MUL owners generally have towards the brand.

Disclaimer: I have booked the Creta myself, and am desperately waiting for the delivery. Not a big fan of the SCross design, and personally preferred the Creta design over the Scross, although I'm sure the 320 DDIS will be a pleasure to drive!

It looks like there is a new segment being created bang in between the Dusters and the XUVs!

[csanthosh]

Originally Posted by nishsingh

I got my first car, my 1.6 Litre Petrol SX4 back in 2007 for around 7.95 Lacs on-road.It had quite a few of the same safety features - Dual Airbags, ABS. Now I understand that the S-Cross is a newer car with way more features, but to me (and most car buyers) it is almost the same car with the pricing doubled. I am pretty sure that even the most ardent Maruti ... err Suzuki fans.. are having a tough time trying to justify the pricing of the S-Cross.

i feel my 2007 SX4 is far better than newer ones. looks wont change very soon

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by rockporiom

The DDIS 200 might have more features but the features cannot make up for the driving comfort.

Frankly, what you would loose if you go for the creta is

- all wheel discs
- horrible alloys of the S cross
- cruise control
- Auto wiper and Auto headlights
- auto dimming IRVM ( can be done from out)

And that's about it baring 2-3 things here and there.
With the Creta the only sore point would be the handling which may or may not be a deal breaker depending on your taste.

Thanks for breaking down what one would lose by going for the Creta

Originally Posted by Aragorn

Comparing prices w.r.t Creta, suddenly the Creta seems VFM (which it is not!). Suddenly the Scorpios, Safaris and XUVs make a lot more sense. Either that or there is actually a market for these cars at these prices.

PS: Sorry, I cannot accept an S Cross with a 1.3 engine. It was the DDiS320 that drew me to it, but now its a no go!

Going against the tide, I think the DDIS 320 is better value than the Creta.

We are all looking at the prices of the 320 relative to the 200 and finding it overpriced. I feel the 200 is superb value because it undercuts the Creta in pricing and yet is better equipped, a better handler, and is better built. We still don't have the weights of the Creta to compare, so performance may not be horrible.

Coming to the 320, we again have a list of benefits and features over the Creta, particularly in the top-end model at a marginal premium of 14k. The engine is a stonker, and that itself is worth the small premium.

Finally, let's not forget that the Creta prices are introductory. They will go up, though one doesn't know how soon as yet.

Add to this the oft-repeated "peace of mind of owning a Maruti", and it is a better buy in my opinion. Only those of us who are hung up on an SUV (looks-only, mind you) would sneer at the Alpha 320 - if it is within their budget.

On a side note, it is interesting to see how the Maruti Service has become maruti service (meh!) just because the car will be bought from a premium Nexa showroom. "One has to go back to the crowded regular maruti service centres". Hilarious

The proper SUVs (Storm, Safari) are VFM in a kg per Lakh kind of point of view, unless one is looking for a 4x4 or 7 seats. But then if either of these were a priority, one wouldn't be looking at the SCross or the Creta for that matter. One also has to congratulate Hyundai for suddenly making this an acceptable price range for a 5 seater hopped-up hatch.

[DWind]

Looking at the prices quoted I am terribly disappointed :-(
While I was following the launch of Creta, when they released the price for top end version it was totally out of my budget. I comforted myself with assurance that one year down the line I can get huge discount on it if S-Cross is successful. Looks like Creta might be successful after all!

Because of this pricing even Renault would look smug with their Duster. That was my fall back option

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by VeluM

Coming to the 320, we again have a list of benefits and features over the Creta, particularly in the top-end model at a marginal premium of 14k. The engine is a stonker, and that itself is worth the small premium.

Not exactly. The only thing the S-cross has extra over the Creta is xenon lights, auto lights and wipers and 4 wheel disc brakes.

In comparison the Creta for 14K lesser has 6 airbags, ESP, hill hold and rear AC vents.

I would rate the above features in Creta higher than the xenons and auto wipers/lights.

Add to this the oft-repeated "peace of mind of owning a Maruti", and it is a better buy in my opinion. Only those of us who are hung up on an SUV (looks-only, mind you) would sneer at the Alpha 320 - if it is within their budget.

the Maruti peace of mind is equally matched by Hyundai. Take a look at the Creta thread and you will see ample people going for Creta as they were previous Hyundai owners or for the peace of mind of owning a Hyundai.

[romeomidhun]

As I said earlier, the 200 versions are still a good buy. It is a good 1L cheaper than Creta.

But the 320 versions are overpriced by a minimum of 1L. But when comparing the 1.6 prices with Creta, we have to take into consideration that the Hyundai 1.6 engine is made locally, while the Maruti 1.6 engine is imported. The 320 prices will come down by a good 1L, if Maruti starts producing the 1.6 engine locally. That will be the time to buy it.

[McLaren Roxx]

Originally Posted by VeluM

Going against the tide, I think the DDIS 320 is better value than the Creta.

We are all looking at the prices of the 320 relative to the 200 and finding it overpriced. I feel the 200 is superb value because it undercuts the Creta in pricing and yet is better equipped, a better handler, and is better built. We still don't have the weights of the Creta to compare, so performance may not be horrible.

Very well put IMO.

Maruti doesn't enjoy a 50% market share by fluke. I think they have their strategies well sorted in this case as well. Okay, accepted they s*rewed up with the Kizashi, but the Indian market has matured a lot after that and the consumer is open to a lot of 'differently styled' vehicles now.

Anyways, coming to the point that I was trying to make, the way MSIL has priced the S-Cross, they have a clear 2-fold strategy in the making:

#1: Undercut everything there is, with the DDIS 200 - Sedans, Ecosport and the likes. This is clearly where they aim to get the most number of volumes. Important thing is to compare apples to apples - DDIS 200 with other similar sized engines.

#2: The big boy DDIS 320 is a stonker of an engine & Maruti knows it. Put that in a car with handling that compliments, and you have a machine that is performance oriented. Again comparing oranges to oranges - DDIS320 with the likes, not forgetting that Maruti hasn't skimped on the features, I sincerely think that they have priced it just about right.

The reason why we are surprised to see a 3l gap between the 200 and 320 is because we are comparing apples to oranges.

An iPhone 6 16gb is priced at 44k, whereas the same iPhone 6 Plus 16gb retails for 52k - that's an 18.2% premium! We don't complain here, do we by complaining that it only has a larger screen!

The 320 has a 28% premium. And I honestly feel that for the sheer driving fun that it will offer throughout one's ownership, it's not too much to ask for. Not to forget the much better ARAI figures that it boasts of! Floor the sucker and it will still give you more than what a Creta can only dream of returning.

Yes, Maruti being Maruti should have tried to undercut the Creta 1.6, I also feel so, it would have helped them make a great selling point there, but they way they've priced the 320, they are purely looking at enthusiasts and not the volumes - 200 keeps them happy there.

[PrasannaDhana]

I sincerely wish Suzuki does to 320ddis what it did to the Inazuma 250. A 25% price cut too optimistic, aint I? Lol