Real problems or prejudices: why Russians are afraid of cars from the UAE
- June 6, 2023
- 0
Parallel import has done its job: at car dealerships there are many cars with ligature instead of the usual Latin alphabet, but people are in no hurry to
Parallel import has done its job: at car dealerships there are many cars with ligature instead of the usual Latin alphabet, but people are in no hurry to disassemble them. Credit, leasing, warranty, maintenance – and who, or rather, sales, are worth it. Why do the Russians treat the “Arabs” with such great skepticism? And are they really worth avoiding? The AvtoVzglyad portal answers these and other questions.
The first wave of cars from the UAE came in the 90s and the era of the legendary “weave” – Toyota Land Cruiser 100. Then, in the center of major Russian cities and industrial zones, white Lexus LX with gold nameplates and badges were full of colors. And cars from the Emirates were listed among European and Japanese already in those heady years – they quickly rotted, lost their appearance and resale value.
And in 2022 came the second wave: hundreds, if not thousands, of new cars arrived from the Arabian Peninsula, forming this wild market of parallel imports. Well, whatever you call a ship, that’s how it will sail: the merchants took all the “good leftovers” from the desert, paying attention only to the price. As a result, not the best goods came to the wide and hungry Russian expanses of new cars.
One of the brightest “novelties” is the Mitsubishi Pajero, which has not been sold in Russia for a year. But in the Emirates of these archaic, but strong cars, a lot has accumulated: in some batches there were even expositions of 2019. That is, the cars stood in the open for three years, which quite naturally led to other consequences: the paint burned out, the paint became cloudy, the cracks were filled with sand, corrosion began in places. And this is a new car at a price of more than 3 million rubles. And the most greedy have more than 4 million.
The equipment is half the problem: there are no diesel engines, many SUVs with a “rag” in the cabin and in poor equipment, 3.8-liter modifications that are not distinguished by ownership reliability. But it is much worse that the cars left customers without any preparation: “warm options” are not popular in the UAE and they do not need anti-corrosion treatment. But the desert in terms of the amount of moisture in the air is fundamentally different from our swamps.
Therefore, a year later, the car began to rust heartbreakingly, which caused a storm of indignation among the domestic consumer, who recently spent in a general hysteria. In winter, the doors stopped opening – the lubricant, designed for the sweltering heat, “dubela”, even in light frosts. Several bearings immediately became unusable for the same reason – lubricants were selected by the factory for a different climate.
In reality, however, there are far fewer problems with the Arab car than it seems. It is only necessary to replace all fluids and lubricants immediately after purchase, treat the bottom and cavities with suitable compounds. It will not be difficult to adapt the interior: heating can even be done on a bicycle these days. And then – to drive without problems for many years, because technically cars from the UAE differ little from those officially presented in Russia.
It’s just that during the “rich” years of official importation, the Russians have lost the habit of such processes. And so they began to eat adversity with a big spoon. But are Arab cars to blame? Of course not. Be it the buyers themselves and of course greedy sellers.
Photo: AvtoVzglyad
Photo: AvtoVzglyad
The first wave of cars from the UAE came in the 90s and the era of the legendary “weave” – Toyota Land Cruiser 100. Then, in the center of major Russian cities and industrial zones, white Lexus LX with gold nameplates and badges were full of colors. And cars from the Emirates were listed among European and Japanese already in those heady years – they quickly rotted, lost their appearance and resale value.
And in 2022 came the second wave: hundreds, if not thousands, of new cars arrived from the Arabian Peninsula, forming this wild market of parallel imports. Well, whatever you call a ship, that’s how it will sail: the merchants took all the “good leftovers” from the desert, paying attention only to the price. As a result, not the best goods came to the wide and hungry Russian expanses of new cars.
One of the brightest “novelties” is the Mitsubishi Pajero, which has not been sold in Russia for a year. But in the Emirates of these archaic, but strong cars, a lot has accumulated: in some batches there were even expositions of 2019. That is, the cars stood in the open for three years, which quite naturally led to other consequences: the paint burned out, the paint became cloudy, the cracks filled with sand, and corrosion began in places. And this is a new car at a price of more than 3 million rubles. And the most greedy have more than 4 million.
The equipment is half the problem: there are no diesel engines, many SUVs with a “rag” in the cabin and in poor equipment, 3.8-liter modifications that are not distinguished by ownership reliability. But it is much worse that the cars left customers without any preparation: “warm options” are not popular in the UAE and they do not need anti-corrosion treatment. But the desert in terms of the amount of moisture in the air is fundamentally different from our swamps.
Therefore, a year later, the car began to rust heartbreakingly, which caused a storm of indignation among the domestic consumer, who recently spent in a general hysteria. In winter, the doors stopped opening – the lubricant, designed for the sweltering heat, “dubela”, even in light frosts. Several bearings immediately became unusable for the same reason – lubricants were selected by the factory for a different climate.
In reality, however, there are far fewer problems with the Arab car than it seems. It is only necessary to replace all fluids and lubricants immediately after purchase, treat the bottom and cavities with suitable compounds. It will not be difficult to adapt the interior: heating can even be done on a bicycle these days. And then – to drive without problems for many years, because technically cars from the UAE differ little from those officially presented in Russia.
It’s just that during the “rich” years of official importation, the Russians have lost the habit of such processes. And so they began to eat adversity with a big spoon. But are Arab cars to blame? Of course not. Be it the buyers themselves and of course greedy sellers.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
