Almost every argument between a car buyer and a dealer starts in the same place: the price in the advertisement is not the price on the invoice. It was never meant to be — but nobody explains that early enough.
Ex-showroom price
The manufacturer's price for the car including GST and cess. This is the figure quoted in advertisements and on this website. Nobody pays only this.
Road tax and registration
Paid to the Tamil Nadu government, calculated as a percentage of the ex-showroom price. It varies with the price band and with whether the vehicle is registered to an individual or a company. This is a government charge — no dealer can discount it.
Insurance
Third-party cover is compulsory. Own-damage cover is not compulsory but is unwise to skip, and is required in practice if you are financing the car. You are free to arrange your own policy rather than take the one offered — compare the two.
TCS
Tax collected at source applies on vehicles above ten lakh rupees. It is not a dealer charge; it is adjusted against your income tax, so it comes back to you when you file.
Accessories, extended warranty, service plans
All optional. All should appear as separate lines you can point at and remove. If any of them arrive folded into a single unexplained figure, ask for the breakdown.
What to compare between dealers
Compare the total on-road figure and the itemised sheet behind it, not the discount headline. A large discount on the car, offset by a costly insurance policy and a compulsory accessory pack, is not a better deal — it is the same deal described differently.
Want this applied to a specific car?
Send us the model and variant and we will put the actual numbers against it, in writing, with every line itemised.