iRage

The engine is the HR15DE engine. Its found in the Tiida, March, Juke and even the B17 Sunny. So engine parts should be the same; although I am not sure if certain sub-components were slightly different to meet different power/emissions/etc... requirements. I believe the CVT unit should also be the same as in the other models listed above (where applicable...don;t quote me on that though...not 100% certain). As for the Cruze...well...I know nothing about it except that it was a re-badged version of the Suzuki Ignis and was manufactured in the same plant as the Suzuki in Japan (I think).

Like tiv stated its absolutely not the most reliable way of checking on the paint's "original"-ness. In fact it is an outdated practice/myth from the 80s when people used to use the engine bay paint to sample the paint for the body. The belief was that the engine color would be the true and original color as people would not paint it and it would not fade to sunlight. Well...pain tenchnology ahs cme a long long way since then along with protectant technologies which has changed manufacturers' strategies to protect the engine bay and body paints; not to mention the way we actually maintain our cars. Forgetting about the above, the body of the car and the engine are subject to different environmental conditions which would contribute to how the paint fades over a period of time. Body gets subject to high temp, rain, strong sunlight, etc...whilst the engine would be subject to engine grime, higher temperatures, low light, etc....so it would be natural for the paint in the two different compartments to have slightly different tones over time.

Please note that these are just the base prices. Once you add the basic stuff like carpets, UV glazing for the glasses, etc... and cost of registration/deregistration, etc...its going to be over 2mil for the highest grade.

Okay...I also should have stated that the rankings are a monthly ranking, and then the month is only half way through When you look at the quarterly or annual rankings they actually do differ. So whilst the Baleno is not that popular it might not be as bad as the number depicted in this particular list. Let me see if I can pull out an annual or quarterly , but for the most part what you observed holds...kei cars and somewhat larger family cars and compact cars sell quite well whilst the mid sized sedans don't (in fact Honda is hoping the new Civic will change that in Japan). As for the Leaf, you do see the Leaf quite a lot. In this particular ranking the Leaf is probably not even on the list because the previous model's sales stopped and the new model's delivery has not yet gotten in to full swing. I can't think of any such time frames to get rid of ICE vehicles off the top of my head. However, the auto industry and the govt is banking heavily on FCVs and EVs. They are starting to go around putting up Hydrogen stations and they believe by 2020 all the major cities will have Hydrogen stations. Also, they are planning on having Hydrogen buses, etc for the Olympics in Tokyo. Mid last year they announced that there were more EV charging points/stations in Japan than Petrol stations. So yes...they are definitely pulling away from fossil fuels. (EDIT: Okay I can't find an combined list but there are plenty of lists for each category of vehicle; again, newly released models seem to creep up on these lists) http://www.jada.or.jp/contents/data/ranking.html <<-- excludes kei cars

A few notes: - these rankings are based on actual registrations so to get a better idea of what is doing well you have to look at it over a period of time - when new or updated models get released those models get a huge bump up in the stats because a surge of registrations occur as pre-orders get delivered - Kei cars get sold by the ship load in Japan. Even on the road for every normal car you see you will probably see 10 or 12 kei cars. So normal popular cars get kicked off ass soon as you take in to account kei cars. - Yes...large cars do well because those are considered "family" cars and executive cars. For example, a family might have one kei car for daily use for one of the parents whilst a proper full size car for the family to run around in. - If you take statistics for each class then the Prius has been consistently doing well. Same with the Vezel which got bumped down a bit when CHR and CX-3 deliveries started taking place. - Yes Aqua and Vitz (after the Hybrid was introduced) are competing each other. The talk at the Tokyo Motorshow was that for the next generation of the Vitz and Aqua for the JDM market they would be introducin a combined model. Same fate for the Axio, Premio and Allion..a combined sedan. To further stop any self canibalization of its own models Toyota is now offering all models (at least new ones) through all of its sales channels (before each sales channel was responsible for specific models). - Cars like the Axio, Premio/Allion were predominantly popular as fleet vehicles for sales staff...and now those vehicles are being replaced with more eco friendly vehicles and companies are changing their fleet/transport strategies as well. Also, those models are pretty darn old

In general....the Baleno barely makes any of the top sales lists....according to sales stats its also one of Suzuki's least popular models. http://autoc-one.jp/suzuki/ranking/ also you don't see much of it around any of the major cities/prefectures/etc...There are obviously Balenos for sale...but the numbers don't stack up when compared to the other models.

You really don't see that much of the Baleno in Japan...s

At the end of the day it will be a matter of personal preference. I have test driven a few C-HRs and they were fun little cars, looks funky (which makes it not so practical in some senses) and well built. So far the Turbo engine has not had any bad issues with it (it first came out in the Auris last year ? or a bit before that) so the engine seems to be solid, and the Hybrid variant...well we are all familiar with the Hybrid system. I haven't driven or checked out an Audi but I don't think it can be bad. The Q2 might look a bit normal in the styling department but that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Audi might actually have a bit of a sportier drive feel to it if its anything similar to some of the other models (The CHR actually handles quite well for a Toyota). Plus one is an Audi and the other is a Toyota...so if brand prestige is something you are after then obviously go for the Audi. But then the Toyota will probably be quite easy to get rid of in a few years. So yeah....at the end of the day its up to you....

Well..if you are open towards a Wagon R...why not look at a Hustler ? Its a bit more roomier than the Wagon R and has a bit more ground clearance. The Spacia would also be an option if ground clearance is not a concern. A slightly large version of the Hustler will be launched next month called the X-Bee..but will be about mid next year by the time it reaches SL.

The engine options offered are the main difference. I believe they have tried to keep the safety equipment consistent as much as possible between the two different markets (so hopefully it won't be too far off in the safety features....in the out going model this was the main factor that made the Indian version get a really really low safety score compared to its Japanese version). No...they will be launching it for the 2018 year. Suzuki typically launches its cars for the following year in mid-December. So all the automotive journalists are speculating it will be launched in December. Yes..the Japanese RSt seems to be between 3.5 - 3.9mil after the new taxes. I believe the Indian version's delivery is set for Jan/Feb 2018. As for when the model will hit Sri Lanka...well...it depends on how Maruti Suzuki actually goes about allocating its output. Typically at production plants that feed several markets/regions, the monthly production volume is separated in to set quotas (at least that is the case with Toyota in Indonesia and Vietnam). Thus, if there is a wait list of 7 months in the Indian market it doesn't mean it will actually take 7+ months for us to get the car here...it might be a bit lesser than that. But then again that also is dependent on factors such as how well the models are doing in the other regions. So if SL doesn't have much orders then obviously the product numbers set for SL will be directed to those markets that have a large waiting list. But on the other hand with markets like SL where the agent does not necessarily pre-order (and does so on a case by case basis) the above might not necessarily apply. But yeah....I think Lankans are unfairly weary about Japanese cars manufactured outside of Japan. So..yeah...even if the agent has the new Swift at its showroom ready to be sold...people would probably go for the Japanese variant as long as its not that much more expensive than the Indian variant.

Nothing particularly wrong with it (besides..you never get a thing called a "perfect" car with nothing wrong with it either). Why is the Sonata cheaper ? Well..perhaps the initial selling price of the car when brand new was lower than that of the Camry and Accord... Then there is also the public's misguide perception that Korean cars are badly built or doesn't last long as opposed to the Japanese cars. Also at the beginning there were Sonatas with large engines sold in the country which were quite heavy on fuel consumption so people automatically presume that all Sonatas to date are gas guzzlers. Maybe the Sonata might be a bit thirstier than the accord or Camry but I can't imagine it to be by that much. Had access to 4th and 5th generation Sonatas and they were actually quite comfy cars. Had some decent pull to it as well (not as refined as the Mark X but that rowdyness added to the fun. Sure it had niggles like the dash cracking and the leather seats having a bit of peel and cracks; but considering that these were cars belonging to a shipping company they got used a lot.

The 1.0L Boosterjet with Mild Hybrid is not available in Japan. HOWEVER, it is actually available in India ! So the Maruti Suzuki Swift most probably will come with that in to SL. The particular power train was first put in the Ciaz. For now there seems to be no indication that the 1.)L BoosterJet will get the Mild Hybrid treatment either. So if the local agent plays its cards right they might sell ship loads of the Maruti Suzuki Swift. The power trains available for the Swift are 1.0L Turbo, 1.2L Mild Hybrid, 1.2L Full Hybrid and 1.4L Turbo for the Sports variant. Test drove the first three and to be honest around town the 1.2L Hybrids were much more peppier in the city. Not to say the 1.0L turbo was bad in anyway....it was just toned down to be somewhat civilized and cozy. The Hybrids had the instantaneous torque feel of the motors that made it a bit more tingly in the pants. The RS variants had a bit more harder suspension so that helped too. The XBee (to bee read as CROSS-bee) in Japan is being introduced as the HUSTLER's wide body variant. This will be the first 1.0L Booster jet with Mild hybrid to be introduced in Japan. Saw it at the Tokyo Motorshow and it did have a somewhat nicer finish than the Hustler. It was quite conveniently placed right next to a Hustler and the XBee looked a lot more sleeker and lower due to its wider stance.

Yes....the Leaf base model starts at about 3.2mil yen...once you spec it out it ends up being 3.4mil yen upwards.

Well from the Japanese side of things, most of the Kei cars have a Turbo variant. the turbo charged Honda N One is a pretty fun little car, Alto RS is also nice Daihatsu has the Cast with a turbo charged variant (along with the Toyota badged one). If you want something bigger then Daihatsu and Toyota Tank has 1L Turbo charged variants. Toyota still hasn't gotten in to the whole 1.0L Turbo band wagon in full swing yet. Honda has a 1.0L turbo variant Civic for the European market.

At which point a new budget and amendments in between might change everything

Well...like i said....don't jump in to a Vitz..I am telling you to go check out the Suzuki Swift RSt as well (and I am a Toyota-guy). You should go check out the RSt especially if you are planning on buying a 1L Vitz.. Shop around...get on the usual FB car enthusiast page or over here and ask people for recommendations for reliable and reputed importers. Insist on a comprehensive check done by a third party (even if they say its a zero mileage car). You can get it done at a car check-ing place or even at the agents. Reputed car salesmen will have no objections to that (sometimes you might have to pay for the test...but it is worth it). the dodgy ones might not be too happy about it. However, please no that there are a few cases where the importers themselves might not know the actual condition of the car.

Well....you are looking at this in a very simplistic way....now...for the heck of it...lets say you are looking at buying a Japanese car made for the Japanese market...obviously your direct import after paying all taxes, etc..will be a bit cheaper than buying the same car at a local dealer over here. After all...the car sales do need to make money. The dynamic changes a little bit with when it comes to brand new imports through the agents....they at the end of the day do have to account for the warranty service and risk they will be taking; plus there might be additional services they offer. No the agent's warranty is not the same as those third party warranties like Sterling, etc..that the grey importers give. So obviously their prices are going to be higher. So no matter which way you go your direct import is a bit cheaper..the question is how much is the risk and additional work involved worth to you ?

Given between the i10 and the Vitz..I would go for the Vitz. The Vitz is actually nice nimble little car (albeit it has the typical Toyota overly light steering...) but still fun. Not that there is anything wrong with the i10...but I beleive the new Vitz as more safety features and stuff packed in as standard. May I also suggest the new Swift ? Apparently the 1.0L Turbo charged variant (RSt) are around your budget after the new taxes. The Swift RSt is not as exciting as the Sports but still a fun little car. Also you get a new design as opposed to the Vitz's old, washed and ironed and recycled styling (the current design of the Vitz has been around for ages and a new one is supposed to come out only around 2019).

Which is why I said our politicians do not have, nor ever had nor will this same bunch of politicians under a different name ever have, the foresight (or brains) to actually setup a public transportation system to compensate (for not having cars). Let's be honest...the private bus owners'/operators' association yields more power than the clowns in the parliament. But I wonder..if the public transportation was actually there, if our Sri Lankan population will actually give up their cars. We do live in a society where a person's value is measure by the letters on a registration plate and shinyness of their wheels. Anyway...all of these are just rantings...we will get more cars..lesser road space...more traffic jams...more debt...so nothing new.

Well...No new car imports to Singapore till 2021. I wish we Sri Lankans had the selflessness and the balls to follow up on something like that. “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country,” is simply not in our system..but then the powers that rule the country are to blame for that too. If our politicians ever do that (who never will because they do not have, nor did they ever have, the foresight to setup a proper public transportation system to compensate for it) our population will be yelling and screaming about how their human rights are being violated (is having a car actually a human right ? In most countries it is perceived as a privilege and not a human right). On the other hand, no one seems to care about the fact that the "cultural police" made a press release about couples should be carrying copies of their marriage certificates if they are going to be in public places !

The CHR is a nice car...so its good nice cars are being brought down. But since this will also fall in to hands of idiots it will be hated because of the cars' idiotic owners' attitudes. Hell they did that to the Premio, Allion, etc...which were actually decent cars for what they were. True, even if it a brand new car in Japan, since it gets registered and de-registered in Japan the papers state it is used. Quite unfortunate...but that is the case. In Singapore, Toyota franchise dealers somehow got the local authorities to recognize cars as brand new even if they were brand new grey imports (so the grey imported Allions, Premios in SG were actually recognized as brand new cars by SG authorities). Unfortunately, not much hope of anything like that happening over in SL.

I think this goes back to the OP's original concern. All these things can easily be installed. On top of that some of the other grades could have been special ordered (or offered as limited time packages) from the dealers in Japan when purchasing the car new. So how do you know if the Axio was originally an actual G grade car when it came out of the factory ? Toyota makes it easy because they assign a frame/model code for the car and grade. DAA-NKE165-AEXEB for a HYBRID G. The WxB should be DAA-NKE165-AEXEB(X). If its a gasoline G then the code should be NRE161-AEXEB. For the Gasoline WxB it would be NRE161-AEXEB(X). So CVT equipped G grades get the designation "AEXEB", with a manual transmission it is AEMEB. A few other manufacturers follow the same format whilst manufacturers like Nissan don't.

No ! Absolutely not ! Mr. Kim will not give us any support after our president "hela dakka" one of his tests

The table seems to be doing rounds on social media. The information is not verified and no one seems to know the source of the data. These tables turn up every year right around budget time and usually the information it provides is minimally accurate (okay...maybe 40:60...more towards being inaccurate). As soon as the budget is actually read there would be another host of tables like this popping up. They too are usually riddled with errors because people who make them make calculation mistakes and can't figure out changes in "percentage" values.

This is actually not a fair assessment as to whether a brand or a model is actually good or not. The huge price difference in SL exists mainly because of our local mentality and the car sales people feeding off of it. To top it off, the prices are skewed even more because of our stupid import duty structure. Due to the latter, the car sales tend to bring the lesser equipped cars of the cars that fall in the higher duty bracket than those that fall in the lower duty bracket; thus, how well one model is equipped against the other is also skewed in SL and cannot be used as a fair and true assessment tool as to which brand/model is better equipped. Doesn't the C-HR fall in to a different duty bracket ? C-HR is 1.8L Hybrid or 1.2L Turbo charged puregasoline and the Vezel is 1.5L Hybrid (I don't think anyone brings down the 1.5L Gasoline in SL except for the agents who bring the HR-V) In Japan the Vezel starts at a base price of 2.3 mil and the C-HR at 2.5mil. However, what is offered for the base price of the C-HR is more than what is offered in the base price of the Vezel. So at the end of the day once you configure everything equally and take off any eco car tax reductions the price difference between the C-HR and the Vezel is only about 150,000yen on average. So what wins over the other is actually dependent on styling, practicality, etc...