Maruti Suzuki, the leading car manufacturer, is out with its new #CalculateKiyaKya campaign, which includes four videos. It aims to convince consumers that purchasing a Maruti Suzuki petrol car would benefit them save money in the long run, with the lower purchase cost of petrol vehicles, even with the rates of petrol and diesel being roughly the same.
A pair of friends are seen waiting for their cab in the first video. When they are told of their cab booking being cancelled, one of them suggests, “Bro, cab chhod ke apni car leni hi padegi.” The other says it’s easier to be a diesel car because oil is too expensive.
Two bank workers are shown in the second film deciding what car the other should be buying. One speaks of diesel car, due to the very high fuel price.
In the third commercial, a pair is waiting to arrive at their test drive car. The wife asks if it’s a diesel car, to which the husband replies, “Of course, mileage hi kahan deti hai petrol car.” (“petrol cars don’t give enough mileage”).
A group of friends are seen hanging out in the last film where one asks about the car that one of them was going to buy. He informs the others that, given the low mileage offered by petrol cars, he has opted for a Diesel vehicle.
Characters played by actor Vikrant Massey feature in all the four 30-second-long films and obstruct the talks. He says the idea of oil being too costly, and of petrol cars offering lower mpg, is too mainstream. He also suggests that there’s a rather tiny difference between petrol and diesel cars, and if one measures the use and funding specifics of both, one will realise that the correct option is the petrol car.
The advertisements conclude with screenshots from the website of Maruti’s ‘Petrol and Diesel Car Cost Calculator‘ showing petrol cars are highest in fuel economy, offering better driving performance and improved reliability. The Maruti Suzuki Calculator lets users measure the performance of versions of petrol and diesel vehicles.
According to an article that Maruti published back in May, the lower price difference between petrol and diesel has played a major role in changing the inclination for petrol cars. From 2012-13, when petrol cars stood for 42 per cent of market share, the figure in (FY) 2019-20 has risen to 70.5 per cent.
In addition to explaining the cost difference between purchasing a petrol and diesel vehicle, Maruti’s Calculator also explains the distance of kilometres and the time it will take to recover the extra cost you’re paying for diesel.
