I visited the Volkswagen showroom and set the Taigun as a benchmark.

BHPian Tony2298 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Right from the beginning, I was very interested in the Slavia since seldom do we see a brand so much enthusiastic towards sedan that too a relatively premium one and even OEMs know the fact that sedans are a dying segment and if they want to sell a sedan car it has to be really good so that it can attract customers from the midsize SUV space, Škoda does make some very nice sedans and most of their success and revenues in the yesteryears came from sedans only which is why I have had high hopes that they've really put their heart and soul into their new sedan to make it stand out and almost the perfect in its segment, so when news came that Slavia has hit the showroom floors I just couldn't hold my horses and rushed to my nearest dealership today to see the car, as most of us are really intrigued about the quality and fit finish part I first decided to head to a Volkswagen showroom to check out the Taigun and set it as a benchmark.

My observation for the Slavia goes as follows:

• The car looks really nice in that Lava Blue shade, yeah it ain't saturated that much as seen in the photos and is actually very similar to the blue shade offered in the Renault Kiger but still it looks very nice and especially the side profile gave me the vibes of the erstwhile 3rd gen Octavia, long-wheelbase helps it lending road presence and stand out among a sea of CSUVs. Škoda had gotten its proportions smaller than expected in the Kushaq but here they have managed to strike the right balance.
• Škoda has a terrible choice of OEMs when it comes to tyres don't they and the Slavia is no different, the display car came fitted with Ceat tyres, a car so powerful(especially the 1.5TSi model) with supposedly best driving dynamics in its segment does deserve better tyres and no less than Michelin/Yokohama IMHO but then again Škoda has provided us with rubbish Goodyear Eagle NCT5 in their erstwhile Superb and Octavia which created a hell lot of tyre noise, gave up on even slightly more demanding situations and wore out in about 10-15k kilometres or so, sorry for a bit of over-reaction but IMHO tyres are a very integral part and every OEM should provide such rubber which is perfectly suitable for their cars.
• The boot space is massive and a huge improvement over the erstwhile Rapid and is more in line with the older gen Octavia though I would've liked if Škoda would have had been simply clever here and provided us with the dual boot or boot+rear windshield opening option like they did with the last-gen Superb (refer to the 2014 Superb review if you didn't get what I said, link. One point I would like to add is the boot had partial cladding only and the boot's ceiling was left naked without any padding and even though there were no dangling wires it was looking a bit odd, especially considering it's a premium Škoda.
• The interiors are a real level up from both Kushaq and Taigun and at first glance looks extremely premium, it almost seems that after being bashed left right and centre for Kushaq's iffy interior quality and dull colour scheme they've gone full throttle and given their full heart in making Slavia's interiors, the golden beige theme looks very upmarket and the dashboards' plastic even though hard were very robustly built with no irregular panel gap, the round vents at the side actually reminded me of the Chevrolet Cruze. Unlike the Kushaq in which the seat leather felt very aftermarket with poor fitting Slavia has very premium perforated upholstery with perfect fitting. The roofline has been updated and the texture is very smooth(in comparison to the Taigun which had a very utilitarian woven roof-liner), even though I've been very impressed with the improvement in the interiors still there is a lot more way to go, for instance, the central lock/unlock switch still felt flimsy, the roofline was rough and unfinished at the edges(felt like it would just detach in the years to come considering our harsh heat), also unlike the segment stalwart 5th gen Honda City there ain't no soft-touch leather trims present in the door pads and centre console(they really drive up the luxury quotient by several notches), instead, Škoda has given piano black finish on the dashboard which even though appealing has a tendency to get scratched and marred easily(even the brand new display car had scratches on the piano black areas!)
• The doors felt really hefty (same as Taigun) and the rear door even though a bit lighter than the front ones (again same as the Taigun) was very hefty and definitely had the solid premium reassuring thunk. The insulation has also been done very nicely and no cost-cutting there, even though I couldn't check the engine bay(I don't think it has any claddings as the Taigun also didn't have any) but there were proper full wheel arch claddings(even cars like Fortuner doesn't have one!), the door beadings were all in place and supposedly of better quality than the one in Kushaq and I hope it doesn't squeak in the future.
• The cabins even though spacious and airy didn't feel very very spacious as suggested by Škoda going by how much they stressed on it being longer than 1st gen Octavia, I have a perfect 6' frame and I felt very comfortable behind my own driving position though I must say that Honda City easily has ~3-4" more legroom although things are much much better here than the Hyundai Verna.

Overall I'm very happy with the product and it does seem like Škoda has put much more effort in making this as compared to Kushaq which to be very honest just feels like a half-hearted job. The exteriors are beautiful, the interiors are well-appointed, the space and comfort are actually very good, the features on offer are satisfactory and even though I couldn't drive it, knowing that it's a Škoda and has a very potent set of engines and transmission combos which coupled with supposedly good driving dynamics truly makes it an all-rounder performer just like the erstwhile Škoda Octavia. This product has definitely potential and has the ability to make its own niche(just like the Thar), it all boils down to pricing now, I really hope that Škoda prices it lower than expected as an introductory which will lead to more footfalls in the showroom and once the car gains momentum price it where you wanted just like what the Thar, Magnite and XUV700 doing which by the way are all very successful in their respective segment. Some photographs for your viewing pleasure. Thank you! Stay safe and happy motoring.

Looks very nice and reminiscent of bigger Škoda sedans, the lava blue shade is a lot sober in real and is similar to the blue shade of Kiger.

The rear again with the C-shape LED taillamps and bold letterings make it look very elegant and nicely resembles it with its elder siblings.

The alloys look very stylish and nice(just like the Kushaq) but with the horrible choice of tyres, the ones who would be buying 1.5 TSI especially are recommended to swap them with Michelins even if they wish to keep the size stock.

The boot is very spacious and a huge improvement over the Rapid and more in line with the erstwhile Octavia though I wish Škoda to be "Simply Clever" here and gave the option to open the rear windshield as well as they did with last-gen Superb.

Not expected at all with Škoda that too when they are trying to establish it as a premium car, even though no dangling wires are visible they ought to have covered it.

The doors are thick, hefty and have that reassuring thud expected from Škoda, also note that proper insulation and rubber beadings have been used(supposedly of better quality than the one in Kushaq), full marks here.

The interiors are well-appointed and that golden yellow scheme does feel upmarket in reality, also most of the quality issues have been sorted out and even though some small switches still don't feel tactile they are no more dealbreakers IMHO.

The same digital instrument cluster as found in the Taigun looks alright though considering the expected premium pricing at least the top-end models should've gotten the full digital configurable dials like in the T-Roc.

The updated roof-liner looks fine now and no one shall complain though those having a hawk-eye can notice the irregular fit at the corners though I think that it would be sorted out in future batches.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I felt Carens 3rd row has better seating than the Mahindra XUV700, even for a 5'11" person like me.

BHPian ant_vas recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Saw the Carens in person during the unveiling today at PPS Mysore road. Enough has already been said about the looks so won't comment on it. I was more interested in checking out the 7-seat configuration and they had 3 Luxury Plus model cars on display: two 7-seaters (Silver and Maroon) and a 6-seater (Blue).

The Blue and Maroon certainly looked great on Carens. The driver and co-passenger seats were great. They have good cushioning and provide nice support to the back and thigh. The co-passenger foot-well wasn't deep though. The view from the driver seat isn't commanding like in SUVs.

2nd-row seating doesn't have thick cushions like the front seats but were comfortable, provided you adjust the headrest else it would poke in your back. These seats can be adjusted to find good knee room and recline for comfort.

As there were many people trying the seats, we were able to check out the knee room by adjusting the seats for different-sized people. The pull-down tray on the back of the co-passenger side wasn't much of a hindrance like the one behind the driver seat with an air purifier. I am 5'11" and my knees were almost touching that protrusion when the driver seat was set for the maximum position. Forgot to try the middle seat in the middle row which doesn't have a headrest and not sure if it has a seat belt (there might a lap belt though)

Getting into the 3rd row was easy and those seats have the same thickness and cushion as the middle row seats. The seating is comfortable unlike in safari / Hector plus where you sit in a knee up position and 3rd row is suitable for only kids. I felt Carens 3rd row has better seating than XUV700 as well. With the middle row seats adjusted for a 5'11" person, I was able to sit comfortably in the 3rd row without any issue though the thigh support was less. 2 people of my height can sit comfortably but can they sit through a long drive will only be known with user reviews in the coming months

None of the people checking out the Carens had any complaint about the seating and all seemed to be impressed with the space on offer.

Now coming to the trims available, Prestige Plus seems to be the value for money variant. Luxury and Luxury Plus are packed with features that are good to have but everyone might not need them. The Diesel AT being made available only in Luxury Plus is a bummer! 7DCT is available in Prestige Plus which might find many takers considering the reviews about diesel not having enough power with a full load of 7 people.

The test drives would start this coming weekend and the price is also expected to be announced around that time. The price range is supposed to be from Rs 12 - 18 lakh, ex-showroom. PPS has had some 110 bookings for the Carnes so far and with test drives and price announcements I expect the numbers to grow and a long waiting period. I will not be surprised if a lot of prospective Ertiga/XL6/Safari/Hector Plus/Alcazar/Crysta customers opt for Carens as I feel they get a good VFM car

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

TechArt is a German automobile tuner who specialize in tuning Porsches.

A TechArt showroom is likely to open in Bangalore soon. This is likely to be the first TechArt showroom in the country.

The dealership will be located in the heart of the city, where the old Porsche Bangalore showroom was.

TechArt is a German automobile tuner who specialize in tuning Porsches. The country is home to quite a few TechArt tuned cars including Cayennes and even a GTStreet R. The GTstreet R is based on the 991 911 Turbo S and it puts out 710 BHP and 920 Nm. The 0-100 km/h time is 2.7 seconds and the top speed is 340 km/h.

Thanks to BHPian punterccrx8s for sharing this with other enthusiasts.

Image Source: Bren Garage

Based on my interactions with salespersons of brands like Tata, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, etc., a lot of questions always go unanswered.

BHPian Varun_G recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I was out for buying a car and have TD several cars from different brands in the past year. The hunt still continues as now I am doing the same for my sister in Hyderabad. One observation that has been really frustrating or irritating is the limited knowledge of SAs about the cars in their showrooms. I am not sure if it's just a limited knowledge factor or outright ignorance but the same isn't limited to any specific brand but is valid across multiple instances and cities.

One recent example, we had TD the MG Astor 1.3L AT in Bangalore and were fairly impressed with the car. Now, my sister wanted to TD the CVT version before making a final decision and decided to go ahead with the CVT version booking. Astor offers a few interior options for Sharp variants and she wanted to book the DT Iconic Ivory. However, the SA claimed that right now only Sangria Red is available for booking (extra 10k). Being a TBHP member, I had done my homework and informed her that the Astor Sharp 1.5L CVT variant has only one interior option - DT Iconic Ivory and she went ahead with the booking.

Such experiences not only misguide potential customers but also put them off to a certain extent. As mentioned earlier, this is not an isolated incident but based on my interaction with SAs of Tata, Hyundai, Kia, Ford, etc. In the past year, there has always been a lot of unanswered questions/misguided information about the features of a car which forced me to do the required research at my end before finalising a car!

I understand that brands are dealing with multiple launches every year but how difficult is it to keep yourself updated about all the cars in your showroom especially when that is a part of your job description. Would love to understand the thoughts of fellow BHPians and their experiences on this observation. Looking forward to an interesting discussion!

Here’s what GTO had to say about the matter:

May I drop a link to an old iconic thread started by Sidindica (Comedy of Errors at Indian Dealerships)? Read it page-by-page this weekend and you will be rolling on the floor.

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say about the matter:

Basically, such things are bound in any vertical regardless of whom we deal with, it's the knowledge & experience of the person whom we deal with.

Being a BHPian, obviously, our knowledge on automobiles is significantly higher than the commuter-generic population in which most folks basically care for are:

• Whether my car is bigger than my neighbor's
• Whether my car yields the highest possible FE
• Whether the AC makes us shiver
• Whether the car & color attract everyone on the road
• Whether the service costs are affordable

While some of the enthusiasts here care a little less about the above while giving importance to factors such a P2WR, GC, Torque, ASC reliability, tire & engine spec - basically, sales vs ownership. We're able to think beyond the sale & look into the larger pie of ownership life which is what separates us from the crowd. Also, we're a mob who learns out of sheer enthusiasm, while most folks at ASC learn because they're employed. So that should obviously put us much ahead of most folks there.

Ever talked to a mechanic working inside the ASC? I'm more than positive we would learn a thing or two very positively every time we meet them. The reason is, their hands-on experience is far superior to our hands-on keyboard experience. And anytime we meet an engineer from the manufacturer itself, they'll blow our minds. The point being, it depends on whom we meet at a car dealership.

Last but not the least, we might think the person at ASC is dumb enough to not know about the cars/bikes/scooters they're selling or the competitors, however, if we try to look beyond the role of his/her job, they should actually be a PhD in some other vertical where we're not even qualified in kindergarten.

But yes, I get your point, people who're employed are supposed to know more & better than customers visiting them, but then, are we average customers?

Here's what BHPian RavSam had to say about the matter:

Since I previously worked at a dealership in sales, here are a few pointers:

Did I have good knowledge of cars, variants, technology and features? - Yes, because I used to just ace their half-yearly product knowledge tests.

Was I able to sell tonnes of cars due to my knowledge? - No! In fact, almost all the other salespersons (yes, I'm ashamed) who had just the basic knowledge were able to sell a lot of them. Much more than I could, at least.

The women sales advisors had more conversion rates too. I am not joking! I have literally seen people/buyers not being able to reject a model because the female SA was good-looking and a pro at people skills. (Imperial Blue soundtrack plays in the background)

What were they good at? People skills! Convincing them that THIS is the best car and there is NOTHING else like it.

Saar, this is the best car! Best horsepower. Best features! This is the Best Brand! You will look like a king in this. Best accessories, best lowest loan interest. And all that stuff! They would go as far as giving them some cheap accessories from their own pockets for free if there were no freebies available.

I just couldn't do that. If a customer asked me a sane comparison question I would actually give them correct answers whether our product was better than their other considerations or not. I don't ever remember giving false info or just saying "our cars are the best". Maybe that's why they weren't sold.

If I were in some other upmarket dealership perhaps like Mercedes, BMW or anything else that's premium, I am still not sure that my car knowledge would translate to sales.

The bottom line is, those salespersons are there to make sales and explain to you the "basic features". Not technical features. They do try to learn horsepower and torque numbers by heart but that's about it!

Asking very company-specific questions like why did X company not provide this and why they share platform and that is like asking a school teacher why certain chapters are included and some not in your kid's syllabus. The teachers don't write their own school books and like that, the SAs don't manufacture it and neither they would convey your specific query to the company. Max they can do (if they can at all) is when they have a meet, they may say why customer rejected a certain product due to a feature. For other specific queries and requests, one can only use such portals or email and other things.

OTOH, the used car evaluators were just excellent in this! They know each and everything there is to know because they are buying cars from you and giving you money and hence, such mediocre knowledge would lead to losses.

So when visiting a dealership, don't expect the sales advisors to be very knowledgeable (I am not saying all of them are not). Most probably, the product manager (not the sales manager or team leader either) will know more about the vehicles. Get the knowledge and info from the web, go to the showroom with someone who knows cars well for product feel, TD, loan and accessories. That's it.

People and enthusiasts like us will only get irritated when SAs give out wrong info about something you already know correctly. Don't test them like you are a quiz competition host.

When I was buying my own car, I was just counting the time till the SA stopped giving me info about what I already know. Well, even then he told me 2-3 things which I did not know or could not have discovered on my own. Peace!

Here's what BHPian Reinhard had to say about the matter:

For starters, I have to confess I misunderstood the thread title when I opened it. By SA I typically assume "Service Advisor", so thought this is about technically unaware service advisors when visiting the ASC.

The sales teams - I believe are "Sales Executives"? And when it comes to these sales teams - I feel it's not really a recent trend at all. They have been this way more or less for quite a long while now. It's just that now the cars have started getting too many variants, too many features (and the mix-and-match between variants) across brands. The automakers also constantly revise/refresh their car trim configurations throughout the year. Previously, cars were sold as-is for literally years. With time the sales execs used to get sufficient knowledge.

Today they appear more confused (add to that their own job hops across brands) and get totally bewildered with more aware customers asking questions with prior knowledge via the internet. They tend to respond rather indifferently then and get into that "buy it if you want, I'm done reading my standard lines" attitude soon.

Here's what BHPian Dwaipayan26 had to say about the matter:

Well, Sir,

I would like to add an experience. I was at the Nexa Kolkata showroom to have a look at the Ciaz and the S Cross.

Me: The car is nice, but if the 1.6 diesel was still in production, would go right ahead and buy this car right now.

SA: Sir, for your yearly usage, you don't really need a diesel. Also Sir, S Cross only had a 1.3 diesel, not a 1.6.

Me: Umm, I am pretty sure that it had a 1.6 that was known for its power and 320 Nm of torque.

SA: Sir, even the 1.5 l petrol (which is currently the only engine in the S Cross) is extremely powerful.

Me: What's the horsepower figure?

SA: 177 BHP

Me: Oh, Ok.

I leave the showroom and start going through the brochure. Turns out that the real horsepower figure is only 77 BHP.

Quite a funny experience. Never expected the SA to be this uninformed.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

This comes in the wake of recent exits by multinationals like Ford, GM and Harley-Davidson.

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has released a policy brief to introduce the Auto Dealers Protection Act in India.

In the recent past, we have seen numerous OEMs exit the Indian market. It is said to adversely impact the dealers and also the interest of consumers.

Dealers in India are predominantly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which are either family-owned businesses or partnerships firms and have significantly lower bargaining power in comparison to the OEMs.

Therefore, in the interest of dealerships, FADA has proposed the Auto Dealers Protection Act. The summary of the Policy Brief is as follows:

• Dealership agreements in India do not have a standardized term with certain agreements having tenures as low as 1 year. It takes anywhere between 3-5 years for a dealership business to break even. The short term of the agreement is detrimental to the dealers as they do not give adequate opportunity to the dealers to recover the heavy investments made by them.
• Indian dealer agreements also tend to have vague and broad grounds of termination that provide greater flexibility to OEMs, in comparison to dealers. This adversely impacts Dealers’ ability to negotiate during OEM exits, causes employment losses, and also affects consumers who are left with no recourse with respect to after-sales services.
• The absence of repurchase obligations under the Indian dealer agreement, which would mandate OEMs to buy back leftover stock including vehicles, spare parts etc. in cases of termination, leads to added costs on the Dealers.
• OEMs are free to open multiple dealerships in the same territory without giving any rationale to the existing dealers. This makes planning difficult and significantly affects the dealer’s ability to recoup their investments.
• Dealers are often made a party to consumer complaints even though the liability may lie with the OEM, due to a lack of clarity in indemnity provisions.
• Dealers are not afforded the required flexibility in taking business decisions and they also have little to no role in deciding stock projections and targets in a particular financial year. There is very little consultation between the OEM and Dealer in this regard, and Dealers are often forced to accept the stock orders that the OEMs push them on to.
• Dealers are also often forced with procurement and selling of accessories (such as spare parts, aesthetic additions, music systems etc.) consumables (including lubricants, paints etc.), loans and insurance from the OEMs themselves or from a shortlist of approved vendors. This leads to an increase in dealer costs, the burden of which is eventually passed on to the consumers.

Mercedes has already received over 1,700 customer bookings through the ROTF.

Mercedes-Benz has implemented its 'direct to customer' sales model called 'Retail of the Future' (ROTF) in India.

ROTF was first announced in June 2021. It has been launched after the successful completion of the beta testing phase, during which, the carmaker received over 1,700 customer bookings through the ROTF. India is the first CKD and fourth worldwide market to implement the new business model.

Highlights of ROTF:

• One Customer, One Price
• Offered by Mercedes-Benz India directly via established franchise network and online
• Centralized stock now owned by Mercedes-Benz India
• Centralized ordering and fulfilment now by Mercedes-Benz India
• Better financial health of franchise partners due to lower cost structure and zero inventory

Here are the 5-steps of the offline Sales Transaction System:

• Quotation: Utilizing the visibility of the ‘National Stock’, customers can connect with the franchise partner after checking the 'National Stock'.
• Order Booking: Customers can book a car by paying an amount of Rs. 50,000. The order completion should occur over the next 14 days. The VIN will be confirmed with order booking.
• Order Finalization: An instant e-mail confirmation will be sent once the documents are verified and confirmed with Mercedes-Benz. This process will be followed through end-to-end data security.
• Invoicing: The invoice will reach the customer within 7 days after payment realization.
• Handover: The franchise partner will deliver the car at the customer’s doorstep or at the showroom.

Key customer-oriented initiatives:

• National stock visibility along with the production pipeline
• No incidental charges for the customer
• VIN confirmed during order booking
• Mercedes to offer 14 days for order confirmation

Franchise partners will continue to remain brand representatives in the market. They will be responsible for developing customer relationships and local market requirements as well as deliveries. The current showroom structure will remain the same.

Mercedes-Benz has invested more than Rs. 600 million in ROTF. Over 200 individuals across India, Singapore and Germany spent 24 months setting up this project.

Ford India announced its exit on 9th September 2021

BHPian Leoshashi recently shared this image taken in Assam, showing an erstwhile Ford showroom, now displaying Maruti Suzuki cars.

An overview of Ford India's exit:

• On September 9th, 2021, Ford announced that the company will exit the Indian market and shut down its production operations at both its Sanand (Gujarat) and Chennai factories.
• Sales of current products such as Figo, Aspire, Freestyle, EcoSport and Endeavour will cease once existing dealer inventories are sold. The carmaker, however, will continue to serve existing customers with service, aftermarket parts and warranty coverage.
• Mr Vinkesh Gulati, President of Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), stated that the auto retail fraternity was shocked to hear another US auto major announcing its exit from the Indian market.
• There are about 170 Ford dealers in the country with around 391 outlets. Dealers had invested approximately Rs. 2,000 crore in setting up their dealerships. While Ford India employs 4,000 people, dealerships are said to employ around 40,000 individuals. Mr Anurag Mehrotra, President & MD, Ford India, assured that the company would adequately compensate its dealers.
• According to FADA, 64,000 jobs have been lost as a result of OEMs exiting the market. Among the five OEMs that have exited in recent times, Ford has had the largest setup comprising of 170 dealerships and 40,000 employees.
• Mr Mehrotra had stepped down from the post of President & Managing Director, Ford India, on September 30, 2021. He has now been appointed as the Vice President of International Business, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU), Tata Motors with effect from October 1, 2021.

Several Ford owners expressed their uncertainty of how this would affect their ownership experience. BHPians have come forward with multiple insights & several pieces of advice.

The dealer is adamant that we have to buy the insurance via the Hyundai Assurance Program, if we want a cashless settlement.

BHPian Artyom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

We are planning for a CSUV for my dad who is a senior citizen, after selling our 13-year-old Honda City which served us well.

After a lot of searching and understanding the requirements, we have finalized the Hyundai Venue (DCT) SX+ version.

The vehicle has to be purchased in Punjab and we have already enquired with the Hyundai dealers for the same and they are ready to accept the order.

As far as insurance is concerned, their quote (Hyundai Assurance Program) is way higher when compared to Insurance companies outside.

I told them that the Insurance will be bought from outside unless they are ready to match the figures, in which case I will buy it from them.

The dealer cannot match the price and is ok with us buying it from outside, but has put a clause forward i.e.:

• In case of a claim they will not be clearing Cashless Claims for us. Repairs will be billed to us by the service centre and then we will have to get them claimed from the Insurance agency.
• Dealer claims that when it comes to cashless claim settlement with the insurance company - it takes them ages and that causes them inconvenience; so they don't entertain outside cashless claims.

The response I had for was:

• When the Insurance company website itself states their service station as the Authorised service centre how can they reject a cashless claim -> No response received from dealer.
• Upon arguing that end of the day it will be some or the other Insurance company who will settle the claim what difference does it make if the Insurance is bought through them or offline. -> No response received from dealer.

The dealer is hell bent that we have to buy the insurance through them if we want a cashless settlement through them or we have to pay the damages upfront and then get it settled with the insurance company ourselves. It's like they are out-rightly rejecting the claim, just because it's not through them.

Now, even for a second if we go ahead with the Insurance through the dealer during the renewal next year the same point will be put forward and we have to end up shelling more money.

I can't digest the fact that a service centre that is authorized by an Insurance company can out-rightly reject the claims. I don't want my dad to run pillar to post to get a claim approved at this age. Period.

I have never heard something like this and even when I bought my vehicle 2-years back this was the least of my concern and the dealer was fine with it.

Is there a need for a complaint I should raise against the dealer to Hyundai or the insurance company to get it sorted?

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

My suggestion is that, do not break too much sweat over these kinds of blackmailing dialogues from the dealership.

Go ahead, take the insurance of your liking.

Just avoid the ultra-cheap insurance companies.

Even if you do have to make a claim, trust me, a non-cashless claim is not that difficult.

You do not have to run pillar to post. (I am speaking from my own experience).

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

Even easier would be to just take the car to a different dealership in case an insurance claim is needed in near future.

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

Believe me, the showroom and the service centre are totally disconnected. Check with the insurance provider whether they have a cashless tie up with any HMIL near you. In the event of an accident. You fill a standard claim form. Clip the policy copy to it and the surveyor collects it from the repair.

Call the salesman’s bluff!

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

In my opinion:

• This is just a gimmick to force you towards dealers insurance
• Leave the sales team and check with their service center/insurance claim team without telling them that you are buying a new car here.
• Once you say that this doesn't bother you and you are going ahead with the insurance from outside, they ll come back saying ok we can match the quotation too.
• Even if they don't , you are at no loss. If the insurance company mentions cashless on papers, it is their and service center's headache later.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The virtual showroom currently has the H'ness CB350 and CB350RS on display.

Honda has launched a virtual BigWing showroom that will enable customers to browse through the brand's range of bikes from the comfort of their homes.

At present, the virtual BigWing showroom has the H'ness CB350 and CB350RS on display. More models from Honda's premium range will be added soon.

Besides getting a 360-degree view of the bikes, customers can also interact with the support team. Everything from booking and documentation can be done online.

In addition to the bikes, the virtual showroom also has motorcycle accessories and riding gear on display.

Tesla is planning to set up dealerships in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

US-based EV maker Tesla is said to be in talks with the government to set up fully-owned retail outlets in India. To sell directly in India, the company would have to comply with FDI guidelines for single-brand retail.

It has been reported that Tesla is planning to set up dealerships in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. The company has been scouting commercial spaces that would house showrooms and service centres.

Recently, Tesla received roadworthiness certificates for four of its EVs from the government of India. The 'Model 3' and 'Model Y' are likely to be the first Tesla EVs to be sold in India.

The Tesla Model 3 is an electric sedan, while the Model Y is a crossover with a slightly raised ride height. The latter shares its underpinnings with the Model 3 and comes in 5 and 7-seat configurations.

Source: Business Standard