Skoda Wants You To Pay Extra For Paint

Car manufacturers often aim to maximize revenue by altering certain strategies. The popular Czech carmaker, Skoda, is now asking you to pay a small Rs 10,000 premium for certain colours for the Kushaq and Slavia. Bizarre, right as previously, these colours were not chargeable. This makes us think, should buyers pay extra for something as basic as paint? 

Not really, no! Well, Skoda clearly thinks otherwise…But before that, here’s a look at the revised prices. 

First, let’s let take a look at variant-wise prices for Kushaq:

Variant-wise prices for Slavia:

The “Why” Behind It…

The good thing is that you get more colour colour options across all variants, catering to a wider range of buyers. Colours like the Lava Blue and Deep Black, previously limited to higher variants and special editions, bring out the best look on both the cars. They are also the top choice among buyers and have the highest waiting period out of all other colours. 

From a business perspective, the move makes sense as most buyers would end up paying the extra Rs 10k for the colour of their choice. So if you look at it from Skoda’s point of view, it can be called a “Simply Clever” step for bringing in more money. However…

Customer’s POV!

From a buyer’s standpoint, this change feels unfair! In the traditional sense, most carmakers used to offer a standard set of colours at no extra cost. By making these previously free colours chargeable, Skoda is indirectly increasing the price of the vehicle in a concealed manner. 

We understand and accept carmakers charging extra for accessories, but for colours? It is hard to accept! 

What’s The Competition Doing? 

While most of the rivals offer all colour options at no extra cost, there are a few other carmakers like Honda and MG who follow the same pricing strategy. For example, Honda charges around Rs 8,000 extra for the Elevate’s white, blue, and orange hues. On the other hand, topsellers like the Hyundai Creta and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara ask no extra cash for any of their colours. 

It must be noted that some carmakers offer very limited colour choices in the vehicle’s lower-end variants. In this case….

…The Positive Outcome 

If you look at the bright side, premium shades like the Lava Blue and Deep Black can now be had with the lower-spec variants making these entry-level models look more appealing. Usually we are accustomed to seeing the silver and white shades in lower-end variants, but now it would be nice to see buyers opting for these high-end colours on lower-spec trims. 

We Are Left With No Choice…

Even though most buyers would object to paying extra for a certain colour, they really are left with no choice, are they? For someone spending Rs 20 lakh, he or she would eventually agree on paying a little extra for a colour that makes them feel happy and would not have any regrets later on! 

Some buyers who are not adamant on a particular colour might end up choosing some other colour or even a different car altogether. Though we understand there being a premium for a matte finish or a bespoke limited edition paintjob, it doesn't feel to pay extra for regular colours. 

What do you think about this decision from Skoda? Let us know in the comments section.