Here we go again! The latest to join the list of carmakers who would be increasing the prices of their models from next month are Nissan and Mercedes-Benz. While the Japanese carmaker would raise the prices of all its models (including Datsun) by up to 5 per cent, the German auto giant would increase them by up to 3 per cent. Both companies have cited the same reason for this price hike – to offset the impact of increased production costs. As usual, the upward revision would be model dependent.

Like almost all major players in India, Nissan and Datsun are offering tasty discounts in December 2019. Take the Nissan Kicks, for example. In addition to cash benefits (up to Rs 40,000) and an exchange bonus amounting up to the same amount, the company is also offering five-year extended warranty and free membership to roadside assistance. From Datsun’s portfolio, the Go hatchback is available with savings worth up to Rs 29,000. That includes cash benefits up to Rs 12,000 and an exchange bonus of up to Rs 15,000.

Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, launched the GLC facelift earlier this month and the V-Class Elite in November 2019. Like most Mercedes-Benz models, both of them already comply with BS6 emission norms. In January 2020, it will introduce the all-new GLE, followed by the next-gen GLS. Bookings for the former are already open, whereas those for the latter should commence from next month officially.

Earlier this year, Kia and Hyundai announced price hikes for their entire product range from January 2020. And just like in their cases, the January price increase will not be the last one for Nissan and Datsun models either. As soon as their models become BS6-compliant, part of the costs involved will be passed on to the end customer. Price hike announcements from other mainstream carmakers will come as no surprise.