On Friday, Mahindra & Mahindra showcased World of SUVs, a new format of premium dealerships. The company announced it has set up over 300 such showrooms across the country, in the last six months.
“This new format of dealership redefines customer experience, thanks to digital technologies and interventions. It is aptly themed around the Mahindra DNA of Live Young, Live Free,” the company said in a statement.
Veejay Nakra, chief of Sales & Marketing, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, added it’s built on the foundation of providing convenience, transparency and personalisation to the customer. “The World of SUVs fortifies our engagement in the pre-purchase and purchase stages by integrating the virtual world with the real on a phygital (physical plus digital) platform, alongside a robust back-end mechanism,” he said.
While many other automakers are redefining car retailing, including Hyundai’s GDSI and Maruti Suzuki Nexa and Arena, Nakra says Mahindra’s strategy is unique. “We are an SUV player, our DNA is Live Young, Live Free, and we’ve tried to bring that DNA in the showroom space. Also, ours is a comparatively frugal investment; dealers aren’t being asked to invest crores into their showrooms. We’d rather keep the capital of the dealer in the core assets of movable stock and the people,” he added.
Unlike Maruti’s Nexa, Mahindra won’t create a separate retail channel for its high-end brands—the XUV500 and Alturas G4. “Within the existing showrooms, we’ve carved out a separate but defined space for these models,” he said.
For the customer, he added, it’s a paperless experience. There is Wi-Fi, and vehicle information on tablets used by sales assistants is mirrored on large, 86-inch screens. Also, there is digital information panel alongside every vehicle and personal voice assistance in test drive vehicles. “We are offering high-end virtual reality gear at these dealerships for the customer to experience the vehicle,” Nakra added. “There are a host of technology initiatives we’re offering in World of SUVs showrooms.”
To create this digital experience for the customer, the company has invested over Rs 50 crore. The investment on the part of the dealer has gone towards revamping the infrastructure and buying large screens and tablets, which, Nakra said, amounts to Rs 45-65 lakh.
However, does the branding ‘World of SUVs’ imply that Mahindra is categorically moving out of the sedan space? Nakra replied that Mahindra, primarily, is an SUV player. The company has at least one sedan, the Verito, in its portfolio, and that will be available for interested customers at the World of SUVs. “Our entire range of products will be displayed at these showrooms.”