ABU DHABI // Emirati motorsport enthusiast Saif binAdhed said more motorists would consider switching to smaller, eco-friendly cars if more role models drove them.
“For instance, in the US you find famous actors driving cars like the Toyota Prius, which make such cars ‘cool’ to have,” he said. “So, I can see the same happening here only if our leaders and role models are driving small cars for the sake of the environment.”
Mr binAdhed, who owns two Nissan Patrols, an Acura NSX, a Honda S2000, a Lexus SC300 and BMW Z4, said he would “never” give up one of his beloved Patrols for a small car.
However, he hoped to own an eco-friendly Japanese kei [a category of small vehicle] for daily driving. In Japan, owners get tax breaks and cheaper insurance.
“I’m afraid no one will buy a kei car if it’s more expensive than a regular car,” he said. “At the moment, there are no incentives here for people to squeeze themselves into one.”
A Salik exemption scheme, reduced vehicle registration, renewal fees and insurance premiums, and cheaper parking fees may encourage more residents to buy eco-friendly cars.
Shahzad Sheikh, editor of Motoring Middle East, said interest in kei cars would be "very niche, purely for collectors, or those looking for something a bit different".
“They’d be seen as ‘novelty cars’ - toys even,” he said. “Since these cars aren’t engineered or developed for our region, I don’t see manufacturers having any incentive to spend the extra investment to modify and approve the cars for our markets. And if they do, the cost of the units will go up, so they won’t necessarily be cheap either.”
rruiz@thenational.ae
