How Long Are You Going To Wait For New Swift?

Published: Thursday, September 8, 2011, 15:23 [IST]

Maruti Suzuki is bracing for a long period of challenges even as it faces severe production issues at its Manesar plant. The new Swift, which was expected to bring in a long list of orders has performed beyond expectations with bookings crossing more than 90,000 units. The big question for the day is will Maruti Suzuki be able to deliver all these cars within a stipulated period?

The new Swift which received more than 50,000 bookings even before its launch had a waiting period of four months for the diesel variant and a little over two months for the petrol variant. The current impasse in production will shoot up the waiting period.

The Manesar plant which was building the new Swift has seen production come close to a standstill from more than ten days. Maruti Suzuki is currently building just about 200 cars per day as against the 1,000 models that had to be built as per initial plans. According top reports the waiting period of the new Swift will increase to more than eight months!

A waiting period of eight months is usually seen for custom built luxury and sports cars. This is the first time a locally built car will have such a long waiting period. While buyers of a sports car can wait for their car as it will be unique, the patience of a person who has booked the Swift will truly be tested considering the wide variety of options he/she has.

The Indian car market has several hatchbacks that can match or even beat the new Swift in terms of features, performance and price. It remains to be seen if the new Swift will be able to sustain interest among buyers. With Maruti Suzuki showrooms having stopped receiving bookings already the matter has complicated further.

The Ford Figo, Hyundai i20, Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia and Toyota Etios Liva will all try to beat the Swift. Volkswagen has already launched a limited edition Polo called the Polo Breeze to attract buyers. Toyota will launch the diesel versions of the Etios Liva on 9th September. Ford is directly competing with the new Swift through its Swap Your Drive campaign.

With competition hotting up and carmakers vying to attract car buyer's attention, it is quite natural that people who have booked the Swift will look at other options. Maruti Suzuki should brace for a backlash from customers who cancel their bookings and opt for an other model.

Article Published On: Thursday, September 8, 2011, 15:21 [IST]

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