Now Reading: Car buyers shift from mileage to total ownership cost
-
01
Car buyers shift from mileage to total ownership cost
Indian car buyers are moving beyond the traditional 'Kitna deti hai?' question to evaluate total ownership costs, fuel, maintenance, insurance, financing and resale value, before choosing a vehicle. The shift is driven…
The Story in Brief
Indian car buyers are moving beyond the traditional 'Kitna deti hai?' question to evaluate total ownership costs, fuel, maintenance, insurance, financing and resale value, before choosing a vehicle. The shift is driven by an explosion of powertrain choices: petrol, diesel, CNG, hybrid and electric vehicles now compete for the same buyer, each with a different mix of upfront price and long-term expenses.
CNG, hybrid and electric vehicles together accounted for almost 41% of passenger vehicle retail sales in July, according to Jato Dynamics. President Ravi Bhatia said the definition of affordability is broadening, with buyers needing to compare not just purchase price but what a car costs to own. For example, Jato found a median price difference of about Rs 1.08 lakh between petrol and CNG variants of 25 mass-market models.
The Indian Opinion
The 'Kitna deti hai?' mantra is finally losing its stranglehold, but the new complexity brings its own risks. Automakers may exploit vague 'ownership cost' claims to justify higher sticker prices, while dealers push expensive add-ons under the same umbrella. The real test will be whether consumers get transparent, standardised data on resale value and maintenance costs, not just fuel savings. Until then, the smarter question remains: show me the full five-year cost, not just the brochure number.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
