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Dealer says my Creta has ceramic coating from factory: Fact or upsell?

7th June 2023, 16:32 by Dev Shah

I did not ask for ceramic coating, but the sales person says that the only units (about 2) available are pre-coated with ceramic.

BHPian holdoyn recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello guys, I've booked a Creta SX(O) Diesel AT last year and finally got a call from the sales guy today. I've been allocated a unit finally, but it will come with ceramic pre-coated.

Is this possible? I did not ask for it, but the sales person says that the only units (about 2) available are pre-coated with ceramic.

I asked to see the vehicle, but it seems it is still in transit and will arrive by this month end.

What do I do? Please advise.

Thanks in advance.

Here's what BHPian SteeringWheel had to say on the matter:

I don't believe pre-coated ceramic from factory. Anyway, if it is pre-coated it will be included in the ex-showroom price. A look at the invoice should tell you. If such a cost is mentioned additionally, then it's the showroom which is doing that.

Here's what BHPian Rodie09 had to say on the matter:

My brother recently bought a Kushaq and he wants to go for PPF. As per him he will first have to get rid of ceramic coating to get PPF done. So, it's not just this Creta but appears that others cars are also coming ceramic pre coated. Based on above I think sales person may be correct. Of course, worth doing your due diligence.

Here's what BHPian Cresterk had to say on the matter:

Do you really think a company like Hyundai would ever do this without a massive social media campaign proclaiming the benefits and "first in segment"?
Most likely it's someone else's car that they refused delivery after they had a ceramic coating applied. If the dealership wants extra money for said ceramic coating, then it's just a way to fleece you.

Here's what BHPian sf71hvettel had to say on the matter:

It is a sales tactic to bill you an over priced VAS (Value Added Service- like teflon coating, PPF). The sales consultant is pushing it since he probably has an incentive linked to it.
You can escalate the issue with Hyundai, but the dealership can also just sell this car to the next customer in the queue and make you wait longer. I think your best bet is a reasonable discussion with the team leader/sales manager.

Here's what BHPian audioholic had to say on the matter:

There is nothing like pre coating of ceramic from factory that too on only two cars. The SA is trying to pull a scam either due to him wanting to make some quick bucks, or because some other customer might have got ceramic coating done on their undelivered car and later canceled the whole deal. Hence they are trying to push it on another customers head and recover the liability.
In other news I also heard from my uncle that even Hyundai ASC is pushing ceramic coating as a service item. Just like the other items. They sell a no name brand and make a huge margin on it.

Here's what BHPian Chhanda Das had to say on the matter:

It seems as if they are trying to pull a fast one. The best way to verify this is to get the full 19 character VIN (not the shortened 17 character version) and enter it on the Hyundai Global Service Way or GSW website (link below) after registering on the website. Please click on Hyundai and not Genesis which is a luxury sub-brand of Hyundai.
Please note that you cannot officially register on GSW website from India (since our laws are weak/non-existent in this aspect) but it works if you show your location as one from a European country using a good VPN or virtual private network service since the laws there make it mandatory for vehicle manufacturers to share almost all vehicle details with interested parties like independent repair shops, customers with a DIY inclination, etc.
After entering the VIN, the vehicle's details should pop up. And if Hyundai did the ceramic coating then it would be definitely mentioned here. For example, here are the details of my own 2017 Creta as visible on the GSW website:
If you do not find ceramic coating mentioned anywhere then it is very likely that the dealership did it and the vehicle was probably allocated to or earmarked for someone else who rejected/canceled it for some reason. Also, please make sure that the car you are getting is compliant with the latest BS6 phase two norms even if it is manufactured this year.
Even if you find that Hyundai did indeed do the ceramic coating, personally, I would still advise you against getting this vehicle. This is because once the ceramic coating is done professionally, you would need to repeat the process after every few years and it is not cheap. It would be cheaper, in the long run, to get the entire car repainted instead. Additionally, a small layer of the original paint gets removed before every single time ceramic coating is done. And you can obviously forget about the clearcoat from the factory.
I hope this helps.