Workshop bills are on the rise, so Maruti Suzuki has put a little spin on things with its new SMP. It’s a prepaid plan that lets you lock in the cost of a service now, insulating you from any future increases in the price of parts or labour. The goal is to make owning a car a bit more predictable and to keep your long-term costs in check.
Why it matters for owners
Service fees don’t tend to go down and you can feel it in the household budget. According to Maruti Suzuki, the SMP will put a floor under those expenses – you’ll see a 10% cut on labour at the very least, with room to save on other items as well. It’s a way to hedge against inflation when it comes to having your car worked on.
Hisashi Takeuchi, the company’s MD and CEO, sees this as an answer to what people are asking for these days. “Customers want something flexible and made for them,” he puts it. The plan is pre-paid and built around how you actually drive, so you can set your maintenance costs in stone.
What the plan actually includes
Think of it as a menu rather than a one-size-fits-all. You can put together what you like: parts and labour, or just the latter; throw in some of the services we know you want; cover your oil and coolants; or even handle minor work on a commercial rig. You pay up front and make life easier for yourself down the line.
Then there’s the wear-and-tear that can be a shock. We have an optional add-on for things like clutch and brake components. If you’re in and out of traffic or in a lot of stop-and-go, it might be worth considering.
Tenure and eligibility
You don’t have to be a new-car owner to be in on this. Whether you have a private or a commercial vehicle, you can pick up an SMP when you buy or put it in place during a routine visit to an authorised workshop.
For a private car, we have plans running from 2 years/20,000 km all the way to 10 years/1,00,000 km. Commercial side of things, you can be covered for up to 10 years or 1,60,000 km. It gives you the leeway to size up what fits your usage.
Sign-up and nationwide access
The plan goes where you do. It doesn’t matter which workshop you signed up at; you can get your covered services at any Maruti Suzuki centre in India. That makes for less hassle if you move, are on an interstate run or are running a fleet.
We’re looking at the long game with SMP. Prepaying means your budget stays level and you won’t be hit with an unexpected number on an invoice. For a family or a fleet, it makes maintenance a no-brainer instead of an open-ended question.
Key takeaways for buyers
Here is what to keep in mind if you are thinking about SMP for your garage:
– Put a cap on service rates before they climb
– At least 10% off on labour
– Make the coverage fit the way you drive
– Valid at any of our authorised spots
– An option to cover for wear-and-tear
What comes next
When you want to know what you’re going to spend, a prepaid plan is hard to pass over. With SMP, we are offering both certainty and some give-and-take. We want to make planning for a service feel like a sound investment, not a matter of chance.
