Diesel Beat price gamble

New Delhi, July 25: General Motors India is likely to increase the price of the diesel version of Chevrolet Beat after two months to offset the rise in input costs.

At Rs 4.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the entry-level Beat diesel has been priced lower than its rivals to gain initial market share.

The 1.3-litre diesel Maruti Suzuki Swift — the best-selling car in the segment — is priced at Rs 4.99 lakh. Ford Figo’s 1.4-litre diesel version starts at Rs 4.60 lakh, while the 1.3-litre Fiat Punto diesel starts at Rs 5.18 lakh.

Maruti’s another hatchback — the Ritz — has a 1.3-litre diesel model priced at Rs 4.86 lakh onwards.

“We will hold the introductory price on the Beat diesel for the next 60 days, after which factors such as increased commodity pricing may come into play, which we may not be able to mitigate,” said Karl Slym, president and managing director of General Motors India.

GM India expects to sell 4,000-5,000 units of the diesel variant of the Beat per month. The company sells 2,700-3,000 Beats every month, including the petrol and LPG versions.

On the 1-litre diesel engine used in the Beat, Slym said, “This is the smallest diesel engine-powered passenger car for GM globally.” The company may consider launching a diesel Spark having the same engine but with some modifications, Slym added.

GM also plans to export the diesel engine to Europe after meeting the demand in India.