Subscription Plan Comparison: Maruti Baleno vs Hyundai Elite i20 vs Volkswagen Polo

How much would it cost to get the top-spec options of one of these on a lease? We find out

The conventional car ownership model is usually one that involves a high level of commitment and carries a hefty price tag. While private services may allow you to rent a car for a few hours or a couple of days, more and more mass-market carmakers are starting to offer leasing and subscription options as well. It allows customers to “own” a model of their choosing for a limited tenure at a fixed EMI that usually includes maintenance and insurance coverage as well.

Maruti is among the latest to offer a subscription ownership model for select models and variants. The carmaker is offering tenure plans ranging from 24 months to 48 months and this service is only offered in Gurugram and Bengaluru at the moment.

The Baleno premium hatchback is a prime example that seems appropriate for a subscription plan as a premium offering that has a high price. Let’s see how its leasing options fare against rivals that are also available on subscription, namely the Hyundai Elite i20 and Volkswagen Polo. Here are their specification and powertrain details:

For the purpose of this comparison, we’ve selected the best variant available for each model. All the EMIs mentioned below are calculated as per rates applicable to those in Gurugram. You can check the availability and rates for the subscription plans from the manufacturer’s respective websites - Maruti, Hyundai and Volkswagen.

24-month Tenure

36-month Tenure

48-month Tenure

60-month Tenure

Takeaways

• Maruti has fixed the yearly mileage for its subscription plans at 18,000km. It is not a flexible option in comparison to the rivals but it is the least restrictive.

• There is also a middle option in terms of kilometres allowed during the subscription tenure from both Hyundai and Volkswagen which equates to 12,000km per year. The EMI for that plan would be between those listed above.

• Both Hyundai and Maruti do not offer the top variants of their premium hatchbacks on a subscription basis; only Volkswagen does.

• The Baleno Zeta variant is the best one available for subscription, one trim below the top-spec Alpha variant thereby missing out on the mild-hybrid tech.

• Meanwhile, the Elite Sportz+ is the top option available on lease, one below the top-spec Asta (O) variant. Hyundai, however, offers the Sportz+ Dual-tone option under subscription.

• Unlike Maruti and Volkswagen, Hyundai’s mileage cap for the subscription package is not a yearly figure. Instead, the carmaker fixes the total number of kilometres included for the duration of the tenure in its pricing.

• The rates estimated above are applicable to those applying as individual professionals. Corporate subscription plans have different rates. There are additional conditions, depending upon the manufacturer, that may get you a lower EMI as well.

• Hyundai is also the only one here to offer a 60 month, i.e. 5-year tenure for subscription ownership.

• Volkswagen offers two types of EMI schemes for its subscription plans: wet lease and dry lease. Wet lease rental costs include registration, repairs, maintenance and insurance while the dry lease only covers registration and insurance costs. We have used the wet lease EMI costs for this comparison.

• Overall, the Elite i20 has the most affordable subscription plans.

• The Polo GT variant with the 6-speed automatic has the highest EMI plans here.

Read More on : Maruti Baleno on road price