Maruti and the Zen of white lies

What is a white lie? A white lie is one that is actually truth, but not the complete truth. Its such a shame that a company like Maruti Udyog had to resort to full page ads with white lies.

See this image (reproduction of a chart in the advertisement. The actual numbers on the ad are different but the chart looks similar.)

So Maruti’s mileage is about twice that of Hyundai. Right? Wrong!! See the numbers carefully. Maruti is only 23% better than Hyundai. The catch here is that the graph starts at 10 kmpl instead of zero and gives the illusion that Maruti is twice as efficient.

In the world of automobiles all manufacturers struggle fiercely to meet the three diverging criteria
1. Performance
2. Economy
3. Adhering to Regulations
It is a tough thing to achieve all of these simultaneously so it is only natural that the advantages of one brand are only marginally superior to the next competitor. We all understand this so there is no need for a company like Maruti to go overboard with their claims.

From the field where I come from (applied research), changing scales on the graphs to ‘visually’ amplify the benefits is seen as unethical behavior. So much for the ‘business ethics’ course people at Maruti might have attended.

Beware, you might be seeing what the advertiser wants you to see rather than the whole truth.

NOTE: Similar white lie had once appeared in Garnier’s fairness cream ad.