Maruti offers free five-year warranty to tide over sales slump

To arrest the fall in demand for diesel cars, Maruti Suzuki has announced it will offer free warranty for five years or 1 lakh km to customers across the country on models such as Dzire, Swift, Vitara Brezza and S-Cross. The development comes after sales of Maruti’s diesel engine fell after the announcement made by the company to stop manufacturing these vehicles from April 1, 2020, when the BS-VI emission norms will come into effect.

The company stated that the price of a BS-VI diesel engine would be significantly higher due to higher upgrade costs compared to the petrol powertrains.

Poor demand and negative sentiments related to the fuel pulled down the share of diesel cars to 14% in the April-June quarter of this financial year from around 48% in 2012-13. Maruti’s diesel vehicle sales also fell at 22% of the overall sales, down from over 28% a year ago.

The warranty scheme provided by Maruti will include components and their replacements, including the high-pressure pump, compressor, electronic control module (ECM), critical engine and transmission parts, and suspension struts.

Maruti Suzuki executive director (marketing & sales) Shashank Srivastava said Dzire, S-Cross, Swift and Vitara Brezza are flagship products, which played a pivotal role in transforming the Indian automotive industry.

“We are offering the warranty on the entire diesel line up of these models to ensure a worry free ownership experience,” Srivastava said.

Maruti Suzuki India Limited