A
hyb id
may
comma d
a
p emium
but
delive s
fuel
savi gs
while
a
EV
b i gs
a
diffe e t
ow e ship
calculatio
altogethe .
The
I dia
ca
buye
is
quietly
ew iti g
o e
of
the
i dust y’s
oldest
ules.
Fo
decades,
affo dability
was
measu ed
la gely
by
vehicle
p ice,
mo thly
EMI,
a d,
above
all,
the
a swe
to
a
familia
questio —“Kit a
deti
hai?”
o
“How
much
does
it
give?”.
A
ca ’s
fuel
eco omy
was
ofte
the
decisive
facto
i
its
pu chasi g
decisio .
That
equatio
is
ow
cha gi g.
Buye s
a e
i c easi gly
compa i g
ot
just
the
p ice
of
a
ca ,
but
what
it
will
cost
to
ow
ove
the
yea s—f om
fuel
o
elect icity
bills,
a d
mai te a ce
to
i su a ce,
fi a ci g
costs,
a d
eve tual
esale
value.
The
shift
is
bei g
d ive
by
a
explosio
of
choice.
Pet ol,
diesel,
CNG,
hyb id,
a d
elect ic
vehicles
a e
ow
chasi g
the
same
co sume
coho t—each
offe i g
a
va ied
mix
of
upf o t
p ice
a d
lo g-te m
costs.
The
cha ge
is
fo ci g
ca
buye s
to
thi k
diffe e tly,
a d
automake s
to
eco side
how
they
defi e,
p ice,
a d
sell
affo dability.
“The
defi itio
of
affo dability
is
b oade i g,”
said
Ravi
Bhatia,
p eside t,
Jato
Dy amics.
“Pu chase
p ice
a d
EMI
emai
impo ta t,
but
powe t ai
choice
also
cha ges
the
costs
that
follow
the
pu chase;
e e gy,
i su a ce,
mai te a ce
a d
eve tually
esale
value.
Co sume s
the efo e
eed
to
compa e
ot
o ly
what
a
vehicle
costs
to
buy,
but
what
it
may
cost
to
ow .”
The
shift
comes
as
I dia’s
passe ge
vehicle
ma ket
moves
beyo d
a
la gely
pet ol-domi ated
choice
set.
CNG,
hyb id,
a d
elect ic
vehicles
togethe
accou ted
fo
ea ly
41
pe
ce t
of
passe ge
vehicle
etail
sales
i
July,
u de li i g
the
g owi g
eleva ce
of
alte ative
powe t ai s.
Fo
buye s,
that
wide
choice
is
spaw i g
a
ew
set
of
t adeoffs.
A
CNG
vehicle
may
equi e
a
highe
i itial
i vestme t
but
offe s
lowe
u i g
costs.
A
hyb id
may
comma d
a
p emium
but
delive s
fuel
savi gs
while
a
EV
b i gs
a
diffe e t
ow e ship
calculatio
altogethe .
The
upf o t
p ice
gap
itself
is
becomi g
pa t
of
a
bigge
decisio .
Jato’s
a alysis
of
25
mass-ma ket
models
available
i
both
pet ol
a d
CNG
va ia ts
fou d
a
media
diffe e ce
of
about
1.08
lakh
betwee
thei
mi imum
ave age
etail
p ices.
Automake s
say
the
shift
is
visible
ac oss
custome
segme ts,
although
the
p io ities
diffe .
“The e
is
o
o e
type
of
custome ,”
said
a
se io
executive
at
a
leadi g
ca make .
Ru al
buye s
co ti ue
to
focus
mostly
o
acquisitio
cost,
with
u i g
expe ses
bei g
a
key
facto .
U ba
co sume s,
howeve ,
a e
i c easi gly
evaluati g
the
b oade
eco omics
of
ow e ship,
i cludi g
fuel
o
elect icity
costs,
mai te a ce,
a d
expected
esale
value
befo e
selecti g
a
ca .
The
executive
said
ca
buye s
a e
also
expa di g
thei
defi itio
of
value.
Tech ology,
featu es,
a d
the
ove all
ow e ship
expe ie ce
a e
i c easi gly
becomi g
pa t
of
the
affo dability
co ve satio
alo gside
p ice.
Deale s
said
this
t a sfo matio
is
getti g
eflected
i
the
questio s
custome s
ask
befo e
maki g
a
pu chase.
“Custome s
a e
i c easi gly
aski g,
‘What’s
i
it
fo
me?’
befo e
maki g
a
pu chase,”
said
Vi kesh
Gulati,
a
leadi g
automobile
deale
a d
fo me
p eside t
of
the
Fede atio
of
Automobile
Deale s
Associatio s.
-
Published
O
Aug
10,
2026
at
08:11
AM
IST
