Car buyers in Uttar Pradesh who are considering hybrids can now rejoice as the government has waived road tax on strong hybrid cars and SUVs. Effective immediately, the on-road prices of cars like the Toyota Hyryder SUV and Hycross MPV, Honda City hybrid, Maruti Grand Vitara and Invicto, will reduce considerably.
DISCLAIMER: The policy is only valid for strong hybrids registered in Uttar Pradesh. The prices mentioned here are dealer estimates. Please check with your local showroom for exact pricing.
- Hyryder on-road price down by Rs 2.04 lakh; Hycross down by Rs 3.11 lakh
- On-road prices of Maruti hybrids also down by up to Rs 2.88 lakh
- Honda City hybrid's on-road price will reduce by over Rs 2 lakh
Hybrid variants of the Hyryder midsize SUV were priced between Rs 20.04 lakh and Rs 24.29 lakh, which now cost between Rs 18.37 lakh and Rs 22.25 lakh, a reduction of up to Rs 2.04 lakh.
The Hyryder hybrid is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine combined with an electric motor that make 115hp and deliver an ARAI-rated 27.97kpl.
The Innova Hycross hybrid, which was priced between Rs 31.52 lakh and Rs 37.36 lakh, has now seen a price reduction of up to Rs 3.11 lakh. The strong-hybrid MPV now costs between Rs 28.93 lakh and Rs 34.26 lakh. The 184hp 2.0-litre petrol-electric system that powers the Hycross returned 13.10kpl and 16.10kpl in our comprehensive city and highway tests, respectively.
Maruti’s badge-engineered Grand Vitara and Invicto will also see a significant reduction in their respective on-road prices, thanks to the waiver. Hybrid variants of the midsize SUV will see a price reduction of up to Rs 1.98 lakh (it was priced from Rs 21.50 lakh-23.30 lakh), while Maruti’s premium MPV will see a cut of up to Rs 2.88 lakh (down from Rs 29.59 lakh-33.95 lakh).
The Honda City hybrid sees its current on-road price reduce by a little over Rs 2 lakh from Rs 24.31 lakh-24.40 lakh. It comes with a 126hp, 1.5-litre petrol-electric powertrain that has an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency figure of 26.5kpl. Honda recently reduced the number of variants on the hybrid sedan – it only comes in top-spec ZX form now.
What community is saying on the Grand Vitara?
While some Toyota dealers are also advertising price cuts for the more expensive Camry, it remains to be seen if luxury models like the Vellfire, or sister brand Lexus’ hybrid range will also benefit from the new policy.
It should be noted that between September to November 2023, sales of strong hybrid vehicles totalled 24,026 units, compared to 21,445 EVs sold. This suggests that a ‘tipping point’, where hybrids consistently outsell EVs, has been reached. If more states decide to waive road tax for strong hybrids, it could provide an even greater momentum to the sales of these models.
All prices, on-road, Uttar Pradesh
Dipan Sur
Viraaj Bhatnagar
