Here’s Why Buying a Car in December Will Fetch You a Good Deal

Here’s a look at some of the great deals and discounts on cars this December.

Most car companies end up offering good discounts in December every year, because sales usually slump. The reason is many buyers prefer to buy vehicles in January to get a registration for the following year, which helps in resale value of the car.

While some companies offer straight cash discounts on the ex-showroom price, others throw in freebies like insurance and extended warranty on their vehicles. Some car makers extend discounts only on cars that are not selling well, to boost sales, while the popular models hardly get any sops.

Here’s a look at some of the popular car deals this December, in case you are in the market for a new car.

Discounts on Hatchbacks

Cars which sell well don’t get big discounts. Hatchbacks are largely popular and hence the discounts on hatches are limited from brands like Maruti and Hyundai. But Volkswagen and Honda are slapping on the discounts.

Maruti is offering up to Rs 30,000 as a dealer cash discount on the Alto and Celerio and up to Rs 45,000 on the Wagon-R. There is a new one coming next year anyway, so it’s trying to keep the buzz alive.

On the Baleno, Maruti is offering only Rs 15,000 cash discount, and additional discounts on exchanging an old car. However, the waiting period is still up to three months on the Baleno. You can bargain for a Rs 30,000 cash discount on the Swift as well with some dealers.

Honda is offering benefits like first year insurance free, Rs 25,000 discount and exchange offers on the Jazz. Tata is also offering free insurance on the Tata Tiago.

Volkswagen has cut prices on the Polo, with the base model starting at Rs 5 lakh now. In addition, the other models gets benefits up to Rs 75,000, which includes a cash discount of Rs 45,000.

Discounts on Sedans

Among sedans and compact sedans the quantum of discounts is a bit more, as the segment isn’t that hot, compared to the SUV or hatch segment.

Volkswagen is offering up to Rs 70,000 off on the Ameo compact sedan. In addition, it is also offering exchange bonuses on old cars, taking its total benefits to over Rs 1 lakh. On the Vento it is throwing in a straight Rs 1 lakh discount. Skoda is making it easier for buyers using finance, by offering a 12-month EMI holiday.

Sales of diesel cars also is slowing, so even Maruti is throwing in sops on the Dzire with cash discount of up to Rs 30,000 and exchange bonus, with a slightly smaller discount for petrol variants.

On the Xcent, Hyundai is offering up to Rs 40,000 off in addition to exchange offers on the car. Honda is throwing in extended warranty for 5 years on the Amaze, while Ford too is offering a 5 year warrant for the new Aspire.

On the Honda City, the company is offering free insurance and accessories worth Rs 10,000. Maruti is throwing in Rs 40,000 cash discount on the Ciaz and Hyundai is giving a modest Rs 20,000 off on the Verna.

Toyota, though, is trying to get the Yaris out of showrooms. It is offering a varied cash discount on the Yaris, along with accessories and exchange bonus for total benefits of nearly Rs 1 lakh.

Discounts on SUVs

SUVs appear to be the flavour of the season, so discounts are limited. Nevertheless, to get December stock out of the showrooms, there are moderate deals on offer.

Jeep is offering Rs 25,000 cash discount on the Compass. It’s also getting buyers to upgrade for free to a higher variant (which translates to about Rs 50,000 benefit). Ford is offering a straight discount of Rs 50,000 on the Endeavour, while Toyota is offering accessories worth Rs 40,000 on the Fortuner.

Mahindra is offering Rs 55,000 off on the Scorpio and up to Rs 30,000 on the XUV500. On the TUV300, Mahindra is offering Rs 40,000 cash discount. Tata is offering free first year insurance on the Tata Nexon.

Honda is offering free insurance and accessories with the Honda BR-V, while Ford is offering up to Rs 30,000 in dealer benefits (such as accessories and extended warranty). No discounts on the Maruti Vitara Brezza though.

If you are good at haggling, you can wrangle most of these deals quite easily and even arm twist for a bit more. Some dealers may also sell you the car in December, but give you the registration in January as part of the deal.