GM hikes Forester price

General Motors India (GMI) has hiked the price of its sports utility vehicle (SUV), Chevrolet Forester, by Rs 30,000 even as it gears up to launch a new multi utility vehicle (MUV), Chevrolet Tavera, next month.

Forester will now cost Rs 12,75,000 (ex-showroom Delhi), Amit Dutta, vice-president (marketing, sales and aftersales), GMI, said.

The price hike has been made after Japan's Fuji Heavy Industries, which makes the Forester under the Subaru brandname, jacked up the price of the vehicle forcing GMI to follow suit. The latest price hike follows a price cut on the vehicle effected earlier. The vehicle was launched in March 2003 priced at Rs 15,59,000.

As against this, competing products such as Ford Endeavour and Honda CRV are priced at around Rs 13,00,000 and Rs 15,00,000, respectively.

Other high-end SUVs such as Suzuki Grand Vitara, Hyundai Teraccan and Mitsubishi Pajero are also sold in the domestic market.

The domestic utility vehicle market, which also comprises players such as Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors and Toyota, had clocked a 31 per cent rise in sales during April-February 2003-04 at 1,28,700 units.