While Maruti Suzuki remains by far and away India’s largest carmaker, sales of its small cars have considerably slowed over the last few years. Models such as the Alto K10, S-Presso and Celerio have seen fewer takers, even as demand for pricier options, including subcompact SUVs, continues to flourish. In a bid to inject some excitement, Maruti Suzuki had launched the ‘Dream Edition’ based on the Alto K10, Celerio and S-Presso, but these were to initially be available only in June. Now, after what Maruti terms encouraging response, the Dream Editions will continue for the month of July as well.
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Speaking to the media, Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, revealed the company witnessed a 17 per cent increase in bookings for the cars in June after the introduction of the Dream Editions. He went on to add the company has mopped up 21,000 bookings cumulatively for all three cars since the special editions were rolled out.
In a bid to make the hatchbacks even more affordable, Maruti Suzuki has stuck to a sub-5 lakh price for all three cars. The cars have been strategically priced to keep RTO registration charges to a minimum, as those charges rise in some locations where the price of the car exceeds Rs 5 lakh.
Dream Editions based on all three cars are priced at Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
The main talking point with the Dream Series models is the longer list of features offered at a lower price tag. The Alto K10 VXI+, S-Presso VXI and the Celerio LXI Dream Series get a reverse camera, which is not offered in the regular variants. The Alto K10 and S-Presso also get a security system, while the Celerio gets a Pioneer music system and an extra pair of speakers. The S-Presso VXI on the other hand, also gets a range of cosmetic additions such as front, rear and side skid plates, wheel arch cladding, number plate frame, body side moulding, along with additional chrome elements on the front grille and back door. The S-Presso also gets an interior styling kit along with an extra pair of speakers.
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All three cars continue to be equipped with the same 998 cc three-cylinder petrol engine that churns out 66 bhp and 89 Nm of torque. The Dream Series models can only be had with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
All models under the Dream series will be offered at an identical price tag of Rs 4.99 lakh, significantly lower than their variants’ respective prices. For reference, the Celerio LXI manual is priced at Rs 5.37 lakh, the S-Presso VXI costs Rs 5.22 lakh while the Alto K10 VXI+ can be had for Rs 5.35 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom).
