Franchised car dealers warn of grey imports
View(s):The glory days of Sri Lanka’s franchised car dealers are slowly fading as many used car and other motor dealers opt to ship in popular European and Japanese cars purchased from agents rather than branded companies, a major European car franchised dealer warned.
Sri Lanka has become a dumping ground for dodgy vehicles from overseas as car dealers mushrooming in the country have resorted to import vehicles through illicit channels, Managing Director of Prestige Automobiles Ranjith Jayawardena told the Business Times in a brief interview following the launch of Mini Clubman in Colombo recently.
He noted that they have sold 100 MINI cars since its launch in Sri Lanka. Prestige Automobile and MINI Asia launched MINI brand in Sri Lanka in 2014.
He expressed the belief the new MINI Clubman will provide a classic MINI driving experience that will appeal to MINI fans and car enthusiasts alike.
With four doors and the characteristic split doors at the rear, five fully-fledged seats and a generously sized, versatile interior, the new MINI Clubman meets all the requirements of the compact class.
Outlining the current situation in the local vehicle market, Mr. Jayawardena said that the proliferation of vehicles have untraceable histories and that in many cases, it may have been tampered with in ways including having their odometers wound back inflicting devastating affect on the residuals of ‘genuine’ cars.
Grey imports, he claims, will undermine the new car industry and damage brands, adversely affect environment and safety performance (and) reduce residual values.
Prestige Automobile (Pvt) Ltd the authorised importer for MINI with a history spanning more than two decades in Sri Lanka, offers the latest MINI models to the market and globally benchmarked standard of service through its Service Help Desk and technically proficient team of sales persons.
Among the after sales services available to MINI owners in Sri Lanka at Prestige Automobile (Pvt) Ltd are a spare parts department, BMW-trained technicians and a state-of-the-art workshop with BMW-specified diagnostic devices.
A MINI purchased from Prestige Automobile comes equipped with country specific interior, exterior and engine modifications and a two-year standard manufacturer warranty, which is extendable up to five years if required.