Maruti Suzuki addresses petrol versus diesel car myths in new campaign

Leading automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki is out with its latest campaign #CalculateKiyaKya, which includes four films. It is aimed to educate customers that with the lower buying cost of petrol cars, and with the prices of petrol and diesel being almost the same, buying a Maruti Suzuki petrol car will help them save more in the long run.

In the first film, a pair of friends is seen waiting for their cab. When they are notified about the cancellation of their cab booking, one of them suggests, “Bro, cab chhod ke apni car leni hi padegi.” The other one says that it better be a diesel car because petrol is too expensive.

In the second film, two bank employees are seen discussing what car should the other one buy. One mentions diesel car, given the high price of petrol.

In the third ad, a couple is waiting for their test drive car to arrive. The wife asks if it’s a diesel car, to which the husband responds, “Of course, petrol car mileage hi kahan deti hai.” (“... petrol cars don’t give enough mileage.”)

In the last film, a group of friends are seen hanging out when one asks about the car one of them was about to purchase. He tells the group that he has opted for a diesel car, considering the low mileage given by petrol cars.

In all the four 30-second-long films, characters played by actor Vikrant Massey appear and interrupt the conversations. He says the thought that petrol is too expensive, and that petrol cars give lower mileage, is too old school. He also says that there is a very negligible difference between petrol and diesel cars, and if one calculated the usage and finance details of both, one will know that petrol car is the right choice.

The ads end with screenshots of Maruti’s ‘Petrol and Diesel Car Cost Calculator’ website that shows petrol cars are best in fuel efficiency, give superior driving experience and have enhanced reliability. The Maruti Suzuki Calculator allows users to compare the cost of petrol and diesel car models.

According to an article published by Maruti back in May, the reducing price gap between petrol and diesel has played a big role in shifting the preference in favour of petrol cars. From 2012-13, when petrol cars accounted for 42 per cent of the market share, the number has grown to 70.5 per cent in (FY) 2019-20.

Along with telling the cost difference between buying a petrol and diesel car, Maruti’s Calculator also tells the amount of kilometres and the time it will take to recover the additional cost you pay for a diesel car.

The campaign is currently live across all social media platforms.