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Would you still buy a Maruti Suzuki today

I personally will not, but the only reason for the same is that as a car buyer, my preferences and expectations have evolved over a period of time. My first 3 cars were Marutis, and now I have reached a point where there is no Maruti car that meets my needs and expectations.

BHPian chethan.ram recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Based on the recent thread by GTO on Maruti and also the poll on what cars BHPians own where Maruti tops the list, I thought it would be nice to know, how many of us would still buy a Maruti today? If yes, what model would you buy from their current line up and why?

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Voted for yes, would definitely buy a Maruti if it suited my requirements & budget. I like cars like the WagonR (for practicality), S-Presso (cheap city runner), XL6 & Ertiga (2nd-gen is very good), S-Cross (miss the 1.6L diesel though), Ignis & Baleno.

Would never hesitate to buy an Eeco for my business as it offers some real estate for the money, and can handle abuse.

On the other hand, I don't like the Vitara Brezza at all or even the Ciaz which was nice when introduced, but is quite old & boring now.

Sucks that Maruti has a limited range of crossovers / SUVs, no real premium cars for 20-lakhs and no diesel. A weak product portfolio which will hurt them in the longer run. The new Celerio is coming up, but does it excite anyone? Will be the same formula of cheap + light + NA petrol etc.

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

I personally will not, but the only reason for the same is that as a car buyer, my preferences and expectations have evolved over a period of time. My first 3 cars were Marutis, and now I have reached a point where there is no Maruti car that meets my needs and expectations. The point of GTO's thread on the topic was also similar. Maruti is not doing much to evolve their products to a point where they can still attract buyers who have moved up the chain with respect to budget, features, safety etc.


Having said that, numbers do not lie. Maruti still has 40% market share, way ahead of everyone else. Yes, the Hyundais and Tatas have been slowly chipping away. Even considering that, for the foreseeable future, a majority of people will still buy a Maruti.

Here's what BHPian abhishek46 had to say on the matter:

It depends on which segment & price range.


Maruti has some very competent products in the below 10lakhs range.

They are tincans alright.

However, the engines on duty are super smooth, highly reliable workhorses.

I replaced the old i10 that my father was using in city, with an Ignis.

It ticked all the boxes for him:

  • Easy ingress & egress.
  • Slightly higher seat position & good allr ound visibility.
  • Peppy & efficient engine.
  • Absolute reliability & fuss-free after sales.
  • Affordable price (VFM factor).

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

I would buy a Maruti today. But just a few models.

Firstly, the Brezza. It is safe and has a decent set of features. I'm used to Maruti's interior quality and even though it could be better, it is not a downer for me. Even if the Nexon and Sonet are better packages as a whole, but I won't mind having that 1.5L N.A crossover in my garage.

Then comes the S-Cross. The S-Cross is an anomaly as it is an actually well built Maruti. I feel it is slightly overpriced but in the end, you get a safe choice for a crossover, a Maruti that has that required premium touch too.

Lastly, it is the Ignis. The WagonR is a good car, but for a slight bit more, the Ignis makes more sense than the WagonR. I actually like the styling of the Ignis and coupled with 1.2 petrol, it makes sense to get one for a slightly higher premium over the WagonR. The WagonR is a good car, but once again, a bit too common and has the personality of a bottle of water, when compared to the unique looking Ignis.

All these cars which I mention are Marutis that I am willing to consider buying, but they are not top contenders, and that has Maruti to blame. The lack of bringing well-built products, and not bringing their international portfolio (Where is the Jimny and the Vitara Maruti?) makes Maruti not a top contender for me, as I prefer better engines and tech over reliability and service networks. But these are a few cars I will put into consideration.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

 
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