New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) Maruti Suzuki India Limited on Tuesday announced a price protection scheme for its entry-level car portfolio, shielding customers from the impact of an upcoming price hike and aiming to support first-time car buyers amid rising vehicle costs.

The country’s largest carmaker said the prices of its small car models — Maruti Suzuki Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki S-Presso, Maruti Suzuki Celerio and Maruti Suzuki WagonR — will remain protected for customers who book their vehicles on or before June 14, 2026.

The announcement comes weeks after the automaker said it would increase prices across its model range by up to Rs 30,000 from June 2026, citing inflationary pressures and an adverse cost environment.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, Maruti Suzuki Senior Executive Officer for Marketing and Sales, Partho Banerjee, said the company received feedback from its dealer network highlighting the concerns of entry-level customers.

He noted that many first-time buyers could be discouraged by higher vehicle prices and that the company wanted to provide a cushion to customers who had already decided to purchase a car.

The company said the price protection initiative is intended to preserve affordability in the small-car segment at a time when rising input costs are putting upward pressure on vehicle prices.

It added that the scheme forms part of a broader effort to encourage motorisation and support first-time buyers across the country.

In a separate development, Maruti Suzuki also introduced an innovative recurring deposit-backed auto loan programme called “Suhana Safar” to help customers who face challenges in arranging down payments or managing monthly loan instalments.

The scheme, inspired by savings-linked programmes commonly seen in the jewellery sector, currently covers the Alto K10, S-Presso, Celerio and WagonR models.

Under the programme, customers can deposit a monthly amount equivalent to a prospective EMI into a recurring deposit account.

The deposits earn interest and, after maturing over a period of three to six months, can be used as the down payment for a vehicle loan from the same bank.

–IANS

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