If you desire to buy the best entry-level hatchback for you, then you need to understand everything about it rather than focusing just on the buying cost and value for money aspect. The repair and maintenance costs are something very important to consider as well. However, often people tend to overlook this fact when buying a new car. Truth is, periodic maintenance and repair of different wear and tear parts can be a large portion of your ownership costs. And it’ quite different from the engine specs, features, prices and the discounts. You will not find information regarding the repair and maintenance costs for different parts of the car very easily; it requires diligent research. This is the reason most people overlook this aspect.
It’s also important to understand these costs since it’ll help you calculate how much it’ll cost you to fix the car during an accident as well even before buying it. Also, a lot of times car spare parts aren’t easily available and you only realise that once you’ve purchased and using the car. But sadly by then it’s already too late. Here is a comparative study between the best of entry-level hatchbacks, the Kwid, the Alto and the S-Presso. You can easily understand the service costs and the costs of spare parts for each of this vehicles and choose wisely based on your individual budget and requirements.
Price
First, let’s discuss the price of each of this car. The Renault Kwid has an ex-showroom price between Rs. 2.94 lakh and Rs. 5.07 lakh. Alto from Maruti has a price range of Rs.2.94 lakh and Rs. 4.36 lakh. And lastly, the Maruti S-Presso has a price range between Rs.3.7 lakh and Rs.5.13 lakh.
All these information regarding the part costs are collected directly from manufacturers so you can rely on them.
When it comes to the front impact, such as the bumper, windscreen and bonnet replacement, the Renault Kwid costs the most. Its bonnet is the costliest among the three options. On the other hand, the Alto 800 has the most affordable parts and the huge sales volumes also help reduce the part’s cost. You can buy all the parts of the Alto 800 within Rs. 10,000. The price of the parts of the S-Presso comes sits in between the Kwid and the Alto.
For the side impact, like doors, window glass and wheels, Alto offers the cheapest parts. Kwid and S-Presso’s parts cost about the same and the doors and handles of the Kwid are a bit expensive. S-Presso has the most expensive ORVMs and windows.
Lastly, as for the rear impact, like the rear windscreen, tail lamp and bumper replacements, repairing the S-Presso will cost you the most. It has the most extensive rear impact repair. The Kwid’s stylish tail lamps are the most expensive and makes its maintenance quite a lot too. Again, the Alto 800 remains the most affordable car when it comes to maintenance.
Truth is, the Maruti Alto 800 has parts which are 65% least expensive compared to the total accidental repair cost. It’s much less expensive to maintain that the Kwid, which has the highest maintenance cost, and is a little less expensive to maintain than the S-Presso. As you can see, even though all these three vehicles come at a similar price range, the maintenance cost can make a huge difference.
