New Delhi: India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki has moved to reduce the impact of its upcoming price hike on first-time car buyers, announcing a price protection
scheme for its entry-level small car range. Customers booking the Alto K10, S-Presso, Celerio or WagonR on or before June 14, 2026, will be protected from the price increase the company had announced in May.
Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, Partho Banerjee, explained the reasoning behind the initiative. “On the feedback of our channel partners, we have announced a price protection scheme for entry customers. Their plea was simple: the customer who is stepping forward with courage to buy a car should not be pushed back by a price hike. So, we are considering a price protection window for small car buyers. If you book, we give you a cushion,” he said.
Why Maruti is hiking prices in June
The company had announced in May that vehicle prices across its model range would rise by up to Rs 30,000 from June 2026, citing inflationary pressures and rising input costs. The amount of the price increase will differ depending on the model. The scheme aims to ensure that the price hike does not discourage first-time buyers, whom Maruti sees as important for increasing car ownership in India.
Maruti Suzuki has also launched a separate recurring deposit-backed auto loan product called ‘Suhana Safar’ for entry-level buyers. Under this programme, customers can deposit monthly instalments into a recurring deposit account for three to six months and the accumulated amount on maturity can be used as a down payment for a car loan from the same bank. The programme has already generated strong interest, with around 8,000 enquiries and more than 1,700 bookings recorded to date, reflecting the demand among entry-level buyers who are keen to lock in current prices ahead of the revision.
