Maruti Suzuki unveils the Arena

Maruti Suzuki seems to be on an overhaul spree. The company launched the Nexa line of premium showrooms for its premium cars two years ago and recently revamped its True Value used car platform as well. But now, India’s largest carmaker has undertaken the most audacious project yet. Maruti Suzuki plans to overhaul its entire Maruti Suzuki dealership network across the country into its new sales channel called the Maruti Suzuki Arena. This would entail the redesigning of over 2000 dealerships spread across 1633 cities all over the country. In essence, the Maruti Suzuki dealerships will now be called Maruti Suzuki Arena.

The customer will not only be able to book but also customise his/her car on the website itself. To do this, the customer will need to register first before he/she can proceed to view and configure their choice of car on the website. Then, when the customer enters the showroom, he/she will feed in their phone number into a device which will automatically sign them in and pick up their activity where they had left off on their personal computer/smartphone.

The showrooms themselves will feature numerous interactive features like touchscreen configurators for customers to decide which trim and accessories go best with their tastes. Customers will also be assigned personal relationship managers who, with the help of a tablet, can guide the customer through the company’s product and accessory portfolio.

According to Maruti Suzuki, their research shows that a Nexa customer is looking for a quick seamless service, while someone visiting their Maruti Suzuki showrooms is looking to browse and spend time knowing the products. This is where the company intends to enhance the buying and in-dealership experience of their potential customers. The Arena line of showrooms will also feature a coffee shop and exclusive owners’ lounge as well to help bring some exclusivity. The design of the showrooms will be overhauled right down to the colour schemes and décor. The company plans to put around 80 showrooms in full operation before March 2018 and the rest shall follow after. In addition, the cost of the overhaul will be borne by the dealerships themselves with the company taking a supporting role, especially in the designing department.