[vikash49]

I was wanting to replace my beater car, a 2018 Grand i10




with the Kia Sonet HTK+ (O) iMT and was on the lookout for offers due to upcoming 31st March FY closing.




Turned out that this particular variant was not in stock at any of the local Kia dealerships. So had to book one and was promised a late April delivery. Few days later, I received a communication from the dealer that there would be a price hike of 3% from 1st April and that the price effective at the time of delivery would be applicable.



When I threatened to cancel my booking due to increased cost, the dealer reached out and shared that they had a Kia Sonet iMT Gravity Edition in stock and that I could take that instead.

The Gravity Edition was launched around Sep/Oct 2024 and due to its immense popularity, in early 2025 it got renamed as the HTK+ (O) variant and both have the exact same set of specifications and features. The car they have in stock is brand new, Oct 2024 manufactured and has 36km on the odo. I have asked for the VIN no and odometer picture for verification. After a lot of negotiation, this is the best deal I'm getting:



As this is in stock, i would beat the price hike and save around 60k in total (5% approx). As a bonus I shall also be able to claim depreciation for FY2024-25 as this will be purchased under my business name.

I have never purchased any old stock cars so would request your feedback and suggestions on which option to choose and any special checks to undertake if I go for this.

Thanks in advance!

[CARDEEP]

I would not suggest you to go for Oct-24 car, as the discounts for a 2024 make car are simply too less. It were a good deal if you could get it for 12 not 12.4x. Just try some hard bargain by the end off the month.

Otherwise, with my experience, this period is hardly anything to doubt for the brand that offers reasonable quality & product that's quite popular.

[Bane214]

My vote goes to the Apr25 model, simple because the 60K discount, which i feel is too less for the previous year model lying in stock and too likely not your preferred color.

Also from your comparison table, looks like the insurance for 2024 model (with higher ex-showroom price) is cheaper. Isn't the insurance based on the IDV value of the car which would be higher for 2024 model here. Probably some more scope of negotiation here, in range of 12-15K.

Agree with CARDEEP here, bringing it to ~12 lac with some accessories would be worth considering.

[Nithesh_M]

Was in the same boat for my father in law's car purchase. Dealer has an October 2024 model available for only 40k less than 2025 Exter. (Kerala)

6 months of it sitting in God knows what open, dirty, rusty conditions that they will touchup later to sell to unsuspecting buyers.

If I have to buy a car sitting 6 months in the stock yard, atleast drop 10% of its ownroad price to sweeten the deal.

40k on a 10 lakh Exter was a joke. So we booked a 2025 model today. SX Ranger Khakhi AMT

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by vikash49

As this is in stock, i would beat the price hike and save around 60k in total (5% approx). As a bonus I shall also be able to claim depreciation for FY2024-25 as this will be purchased under my business name.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting a 6 month old car. Do a full PDI before proceeding with any sort of payment. Haggle harder - the dealership would want the car gone before March 31. A discount of 1-1.5L would be acceptable, 60k is just too less. Again, you the buyer is the king here - bargain shamelessly!

[IshaanIan]

Push for 2 lacs, settle at 1.5 lac discount nothing less. At the end of the day they also have to sell the car and having discussed several such deals with many dealerships for a wide range of cars, I can tell you from personal experience that 60k discount is peanuts and they are trying to take advantage of you hoping you will make sense of it somehow. Just to give you reference on the discounts I have encountered:

Abarth Punto was offered at a 1lac discount just because I was grinning from ear to ear on the test drive.

Fiesta Classic 1.6 was offered to me at 1.5 lacs discount just on a phone call when I had called to enquire whether they had any in stock.

S-Cross petrol 1 month old stock was offered at 1.2 lacs discount on its final year of sale, again without any firm negotiations or offers to buy from my side. (Deeply regret not having pulled the trigger on this)

The above three cars are all cheaper than the one you intend to purchase yet the discounts being offered were much higher as you can see. Sure they aren’t popular models like the Sonet but still 60k is laughable.

My Kizashi was bought with a 6 lac discount and I was even offered a 2.4L old GV AT for 6 lacs off.

Rubber parts, bushes, beadings, battery, brake discs and tyres are going to all be in poor shape or rather not as good as new and these are all things that they can later claim will not be replaced under warranty since they are categorised as wear and tear items. Tell them you know all of this and don’t settle for anything less than 1.5lacs with a new battery before proceeding with the deal. Make sure panels haven’t been repainted as well and if you do end up buying it, test the braking extensively within the first week of ownership so that if the discs have warped you can just go into their SVC and have them replaced under warranty since they cannot argue that you wore them out within a week’s delivery of the car.

[vikash49]

Just got the VIN no and odometer pic from the dealer:


Nov manufactured and received in December


Odo is 33km and car is still in shipping mode and parked inside their warehouse since arrival.

Unfortunately, I'm located in one corner of the country, and with most OEMs having just 1-2 dealers in the city. Therefore, there is almost no competition, and hence the discounts we get here is way less than the rest of the country


I too feel the discount should be more. Will still try to make another push closer to the year end.Shall keep you updated.

[Pkumarblore]

I am sorry about my choice 2. I mis-read it as 60% of the price. A momentary blurred vision. I wish to withdraw it. Please buy the new one.

[It's Magic]

Originally Posted by vikash49

I have never purchased any old stock cars so would request your feedback and suggestions on which option to choose and any special checks to undertake if I go for this.

I would recommend going with the 2025 model unless it's a good deal and the car is not older than 2-3 months.

Although you mentioned that both models have the same features, I suggest you take the latest brochure and compare the feature lists. Sometimes, companies make small updates to the feature lists for few variants each year.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by vikash49

Just got the VIN no and odometer pic from the dealer
Nov manufactured and received
Odo is 33km and car is still in shipping mode and parked inside their warehouse since arrival.

If things are as dire as you explained in your town, then I hope you are planning to check out the car in person before moving forward with this deal. Photos and other such “evidence” has been recorded on our own forum as being fudged so please tread cautiously and only consider any deal after checking out the car in person. This will also give you an opportunity to catch any discrepancies that will help you negotiate or decide on the purchase better.

[Aviator_guy]

Originally Posted by vikash49

I too feel the discount should be more. Will still try to make another push closer to the year end.Shall keep you updated.

Try for more discount. If not in cash, then in the form of complimentary accessories, extended warranty etc. Also, there might be scope of negotiation on insurance as dealers usually inflate insurance quote.

I'd suggest going for latest model unless there is strong reason for you to close deal before financial year end. Otherwise,, one month wait is not that big.

Don't disclose your eagerness to get car ASAP, tell them you're willing to wait.For all you know, dealer might be bluffing about new stock and may deliver sooner. It's their usual tactics to show huge wait time so as to discourage customers to negotiate. Once they get booking, things may move fast.

[vikash49]

As suggested by the majority here, I decided to wait and go for the brand new April 2025 manufactured unit that i had originally booked.

Yesterday, I got a call from the dealer that my car had arrived. So, this morning I went to the yard to do the PDI with my Fenix TK16 and noticed this:



The right rear door wasn't closing flush with the body like the other doors. It was quite obvious even without the flashlight. I showed this to the SA who called and showed this to the body shop guys. As per them, this is a minor alignment issue and can be adjusted later. So, I asked them to do the alignment first and that I shall proceed with the paperwork after seeing the result.