DB8, EK9, DC2, DC5, CL7(R), SE3P may not mean much but to me, JDM cars always had a certain attraction.
It is like eating ramen in Japan, nothing beats getting a taste of the real thing.
And this I think is how Parallel Imports have revolutionarized car ownership in Singapore.
As the possibly the largest market outside the US, the Japanese market is filled with a myriads of models to entice Japanese people to buy into the brand. The diversity and the mystery that shrouds the Japanese culture and its people are also responsible for the interesting offerings from all Japanese manufacturers.
In Singapore, the de-regulation of personal imports has certainly created a new trend - before a spanking new model is introduced by a local distributor, a Japanese model would certainly be available already for months. Which makes you wonder why distributors take longer to launch the same model.
The Toyota Wish and the 2007 Honda Stream are good examples. Even after more than 10,000 Toyota Wish is sold by PIs, the official Borneo Motors import has yet to make its showroom appearance. PIs sold more than 3000 Honda Stream before Kah Motor could show it in its showroom.
The 2008 Honda Fit arrived in Singapore at the end of 2007. The official Honda Jazz will make showroom appearance only in May 2008.
Earlier availability is perhaps a clear advantage now. Most importantly however, I think significantly consumers now have a choice - in the past if the official distributor did not carry a particular model, getting it is next to impossible.
In a free economy, choice is a very important element to sustain freedom in the movement of goods and services.
No comments:
Post a Comment