Maruti Suzuki hikes car prices by up to Rs18,000

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, the country's top car manufacturer, has effected a hike in car prices ranging from Rs1,000 to Rs18,000 across most of its models, to partly offset the impact of the high cost of raw materials, mainly steel and plastics.

Maruti has been negotiating prices of raw materials, especially those of steel, for which prices have gone up by up to 40 per cent.

Maruti raised the price of the Zen Estilo by Rs1,000 and that of the Wagon R hatchbacks and the diesel variant of Swift by Rs15,000 effective last weekend, according to dealers.

Maruti launched its new car model, Swift DZire, with introductory price ranging between Rs4.49 lakh and Rs6.70 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), aiming to consolidate its position in the bigger car segment. DZire, the seventh model Maruti Suzuki has launched in the last three years, comes in both diesel and petrol variants and is powered by 1.3-litre engine.

Maruti has spared the Grand Vitara SUV from the current price hike, but has withdrawn a special introductory price on the newly launched Swift DZire model.

The carmaker, which raised its car prices between Rs1,000 and Rs11,000 (ex-showroom Delhi) across most of its models in February 2008, had since cut prices of some of its models in end-February after the government announced a reduction in excise duty on small cars to 12 per cent from 16 per cent.