Most variants of the Hyundai Creta have a waiting period of six months – while some are even going as high as ten months, depending on the location and variant – due to the global semiconductor shortage and COVID-19-related production delays.
- Semiconductor crisis has pushed Creta waiting period up to 10 months
- Alcazar has a lesser waiting period due to lower demand
- Price difference between most variants of the two models is about Rs 2 lakh
So, in order to combat multiple cancellations, Hyundai dealers have come up with a rather smart solution, suggesting Creta customers to upgrade to the Alcazar, an essentially longer, three-row iteration of the Creta. The waiting period on the Alcazar is far lower, averaging about three months for most variants.
There is a price difference between equivalent trims of the Creta and Alcazar – about Rs 2 lakh for most trims – but this doesn’t seem to be deterring buyers. For instance, the mid-spec Creta 1.5-litre petrol-manual SX is priced at Rs 14.13 lakh*, while the entry-spec Alcazar 2.0-litre petrol-manual is priced at Rs 16.30 lakh*. Similarly, the top-spec Creta 1.4-litre petrol-DCT SX(O) costs Rs 17.87 lakh*, while the top-spec Alcazar 2.0-litre petrol-AT Signature (O) costs Rs 19.99 lakh*. As for the top-spec 1.5-litre diesel-AT versions, the Creta SX(O) costs Rs 17.78 lakh*, while the Alcazar costs Rs 20.14 lakh*.
The Hyundai Creta is available with three engine options – a 115hp, 1.5-litre petrol, a 115hp, 1.5-litre diesel and a 140hp, 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine. Meanwhile, the Alcazar gets two engine options – the 115hp, 1.5-litre diesel, which is the same as the Creta, and a larger 159hp, 2.0-litre petrol engine.
By asking Creta buyers to upgrade to the Alcazar, Hyundai dealers are not only ensuring faster delivery of vehicles to the customer, but also helping rack up sales for the Alcazar, thus, keeping the customer within their fold.
Upcoming Hyundai launches in India
Hyundai recently announced its plans to launch six new EVs in India by 2028. The first of these will be the Ioniq 5 that’s set to arrive in India next year as a CBU, followed by the locally assembled Kona Electric. Hyundai is also expected to introduce a mid-life facelift to the Creta next year and is reportedly working on the next-generation Verna, which is expected to arrive by 2023.
If you were in the market to buy the Creta, would you wait, or would you rather pay the premium for the Alcazar? Let us know in the comments below.
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