Hi boys and girls...
Lately , Ive come across an advertisement by Berjaya group of their intention of selling a diesel CX 5. I've never driven a CX 5 in the petrol version but I've read reviews locally and abroad of how good the car is especially in terms of the joy that you get from driving the SUV . Now, they are bringing in the diesel version of the car with more bountiful torque. This would dramatically improve the performance of the car. But the issue is whether it makes financial sense to buy a diesel vis a vis the hybrid?
1. I believe its quite difficult for Mazda franchisee to convince ordinary Malaysians of the beauty of diesel.Malaysia is definitely not a diesel country like India or the UK. Even small cars in those countries have diesel engines. In the US, only 2.3 % of the vehicles sold are diesel. I dont have data on the number of cars in Malaysia having diesel engines but I believe its just miniscule limiting to owners of Mercedes C 270 or some old Citroens. People just dont buy diesels.
2. Malaysians are really reluctant to buy diesel cars because of their outdated perception of what diesel is. They think of diesel as a car that is noisy and dirty. They still remember vividly of the clattery diesel sounds and the excessive smoke emitted by diesel engines like the 'Bas mini' and the old Foh Hup buses that ply Kajang- KLroute. All these are not true anymore. I remember driving diesel Skoda Superb in the UK last year and was totally blown away by its performance , quietness and economy. Honestly, a I would probably get a Skoda diesel than the Camry Hybrid if there's no difference in terms of the price.
3. Malaysians also don't buy diesel because diesel cars are generally priced much higher compared to the petrol version. It is sometimes 20,000 ringgit higher which does not make any financial sense to buy the oil burner. Naza however has introduced the big sized SUV cheaper than the petrol version and I believe this is a good start. But the awful thing is that people in France, Norway and recently in India are beginning to adopt hybrid or electric vehicles. Some countries like France and the Philippines even ban diesel cars from entering the city centre.
4. Another thing that works against Malaysians from buying diesel vehicles is the perception that cars with diesel engines have low resale value. Diesel cars would lose 50 % of their value once they leave the showroom. That's how bad the value of diesel vehicle is.
5. Last but not least is the maintenance cost of owning a diesel car. I believe the maintenance will be a bit more expensive than the petrol version. Spare parts for the oil burner always cost more than the petrol version.
In short , I still believe that the diesel fever will not happen in this country. Although its good to own a diesel engine especially with regard to its performance but other factors beyond your control would stop us from buying one.
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