With a humble beginning in the early 2010s, the business model of Ola/Uber has become a successful venture. These cabs have made the lives of lakhs of commuters more relaxed and convenient. Not only that, these cabs have become a good source of income that promises high returns. If you are thinking about entering the cab venture, then you must have wondered what car models make for the backbone of these cab brands and what is the main reason behind it? It is an essential question as it can affect your overall profit in the business. Let us look at the best cars for taxi business in India.
1. Toyota Innova Crysta
The utility king itself. When it comes to the commercial segment, nothing can beat the ease of owning a Toyota Innova. The main factor which attracts cab drivers towards it is the utility and the passenger-carrying capacity. What’s more, the maintenance is so cheap that a cab driver makes a decent saving in the wear and tear department. Along with the crazy long life that it offers, the Innova is like a fixed deposit. The resale value is so high that even after a long commercial career, one can get back up to 50% of the car value. The tourist also prefers an Innova over other utility vehicles. Innova almost enjoys a monopoly in the utility segment.
2. Maruti Suzuki Wagon R
Wagon R, the perfect city commuter and among the best cars for the taxi business in India. Having a cab based on the Maruti Suzuki brand is a win-win situation for a cab driver. Maruti has launched a special version of Wagon R for the commercial sector, the comes preinstalled with CNG options. With cheap maintenance and high reliability, a cab driver can make a decent profit by spending less on maintenance. The CNG version has a very high range that translates directly into more profit per ride. The city commuters also prefer these cars because they are reliable and hardly break down. With a strong service network, the downtime for maintenance of these cars is very low, and a cab driver doesn’t lose his precious time on maintaining the vehicle. No matter what, Wagner R has become a heartbeat of the cab business.
3. Swift Dzire Tour
One of the best models in the cab segment. The Dzire Tour model by Maruti Suzuki is specifically made for the commercial segment and cab fleet owners swear by this model for its solid fuel economy, cheap maintenance, and reliability. The car offers a mix of decent comfort and sound insulation, high frugality, and good ride comfort. The passengers also prefer this car over other cars in this segment. As always with Maruti cars, the resale value is very high and a cab driver can squeeze the last bit of profit even during selling his car. The factory-fitted CNG version has a decent amount of range, which adds up to the profit of the cab driver. The third-party maintenance options are also high in number, giving the cab driver flexibility.
4. Honda Amaze
This has become a favorite in the Ola/Uber premium segment. The sophisticated passengers love this Honda model as it has some sort of status symbol. The Amaze is also a favorite among cab drivers because of the low maintenance cost and great fuel economy. In metro and tier 1 cities, these cars are very high in number. They provide good ride quality and passenger comfort. Many swear by the good legroom it offers both in the front and rear. With a high boot capacity of 400 liters, the car can easily do inter-city trips. The diesel version is popular as it can easily give north of 24 km per litre, thereby maximizing the profit of the cab driver. Like Toyota, the basic service cost is also very affordable.
5. Maruti Alto 800
The best pick in the micro-level among the cab drivers. The car offers two-wheeler-like maintenance along with a very high fuel economy. This car is a dream come true for cab drivers. Many cab drivers in a small city, looking to enter into the cab business, will blindly choose this car. Recently, Maruti launched Alto H1 that was targeted towards the cab market. It is a stripped-down version that has air conditioning and factory-fitted CNG. The overall cost and the reliability factor have made this car very popular in the micro cab segment. The H1 version is selling at a rate of 21000 cars per month.
Conclusion
For a car model to become successful in the cab or commercial segment, it must have the twin factors of a great fuel economy and cheap maintenance, and these best cars for the taxi business in India have all of them. It looks like Maruti Suzuki has again gauged the nerve of the segment right and as a result, it has some highest-selling commercial models on the market right now. For a person, who is thinking about starting a cab venture, Maruti Suzuki will remain the favorite choice. The brand has everything going on that will maximize the profit of a cab driver.
