In stalled imported vehicle market, hybrid car is still popular

Now 2009 model of fuel-efficient Prius has hit the market.

LAHORE: As sales of imported cars are coming down in the wake of the amnesty scheme, introduced to legalise smuggled vehicles that will bring comparatively cheap vehicles in the market, the demand for much vaunted hybrid electric car, Toyota Prius, has remained intact as it is getting increasingly popular among car lovers because of fuel efficiency, safety and comfort.

Toyota Prius, which was introduced in the Pakistan market in early 2012 with the slogan of fuel efficiency, is being sold like hot cakes and has outperformed nearly all 1,500cc imported and locally assembled vehicles.

Earlier, the 2007 model of Prius hit the market and now 2009 model, with engine capacity of 1,800cc, is also available. Market dealers believe the new model may hurt locally assembled 1,800cc cars, though the price of imported vehicle is much higher.

Prius of 2007 is sold for Rs1.7-2 million and the price of 2009 model ranges from Rs3-3.2 million.



“After the success of (imported) Toyota Vitz in the Pakistan market back in 2004-05, Prius is the second most popular car which has been widely accepted,” said Rizwan Goraya, a Lahore-based businessman, who deals in local and imported vehicles, while talking to The Express Tribune.

As far as other imported vehicles, excluding these two, were concerned, importers had stopped booking them because of weak demand from customers, he said. Prius was beating locally assembled Corolla GLI as the engine capacity and prices of both were almost the same, he said.

Prius, which has captured a huge market in the US, Europe and Japan, covers about 22 kms with one litre of fuel. The car is powered by a heavy battery that provides power to its electric motor. The battery life is around 350,000 km and its price is about Rs250,000.



The perception, according to the dealers, that Prius uses battery power to run up to 60 kms is totally wrong. The engine automatically switches on the electric motor whenever the car stops at a signal or anywhere else and as soon as the driver pushes the accelerator, the engine turns on and the car uses both powers for better mileage.

“Fuel prices in Pakistan are at its peak and people have accepted frequent closure of CNG stations, in such a case this car (Prius) has become an option for those who want cheap mileage,” said Rabbi Bashir, a customer.

However, the real test of the car would come after some years when owners would be required to replace the batteries as at present there was no such facility in Pakistan, he said.

The car, imported in 2012, was five years old and most engines and batteries have lived half of their lives.

According to the dealers, majority of the importers had tampered with the meters for fetching good prices and for them spare parts were not an issue as in the case of Vitz they had imported parts as a good business opportunity.

They, however, were of the view that Pakistani mechanics would not be able to tackle any electric failure in Prius and some expert either from the company or from Japan would have to be brought to fix the problem.

In the market, there is another hybrid car, produced by Honda, but the vehicle has not gained much appreciation apparently because of low engine capacity. “The 1,300cc hybrid Honda Civic Rebound is available in some showrooms at around the same price, but people prefer Prius,” Goraya said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2013.

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