Importing a Dual Purpose Ute

[Hermano]

Hello folks. I'm new to the country and this forum so a big hello to everybody here. I have decided to throw in the towel after charging myself with figuring out the best way to procure a vehicle while on assignment here in beautiful SL and decided to ask for help over here. I have three requirements and three questions. The requirements are:

i) The car needs to be a dual purpose vehicle as my work obligations require me to travel extensively across SL from Jaffna to Batticaloa to Yala-Hambantota and back to Colombo. So it also needs to be brand new with Agent Support. (Doesn't necessarily need to be bought from an agent)

ii) The highest my employer will go is Rupees 12 000 000. A spartan spec is a non issue. I'm currently interested in a Hilux CrewCab 2.8G or a Ranger Crew.

iii) A support network for the final vehicle as agreed upon is paramount. Cost wouldn't make much of a difference. Readily available spares is a huge necessity as I'm required to leave behind my vehicle by the end of next year to the next fella who will be contracted to work and hopefully it still needs to able to take a proper beating down the line.

As I was made to understand the VW Amarok is not currently being brought to SL and I've heard a few horror stories about the agents so let's leave that and the Mazda ute out. Does Sri Lanka have a strong presence from Isuzu? I would like a clarification on that aswell. Now to my three main questions.

i) What's the import duty on a dual purpose vehicle? Is it the 57% that's been touted around or is it a much different amount?

II) Who are some of the reputed car sellers if we so decide to skip an agent? Is skipping the Agent advisable? (Toyota Lanka seems to have a good reputation at-least on word of mouth but how has softlogic fared so far?)

III) What are my other options if I decide to go a different way from a ute and decide on something different that might still fit my needs of being able to properly take a good beating down the road, carry aid material frequently and still be very reliable for around the same budget?

Thanks heaps. Cheers

Edited September 4, 2016 by Hermano

[AJ84]

On 9/4/2016 at 1:07 PM, Hermano said:

Hello folks. I'm new to the country and this forum so a big hello to everybody here. I have decided to throw in the towel after charging myself with figuring out the best way to procure a vehicle while on assignment here in beautiful SL and decided to ask for help over here. I have three requirements and three questions. The requirements are:

i) The car needs to be a dual purpose vehicle as my work obligations require me to travel extensively across SL from Jaffna to Batticaloa to Yala-Hambantota and back to Colombo. So it also needs to be brand new with Agent Support. (Doesn't necessarily need to be bought from an agent)

ii) The highest my employer will go is Rupees 12 000 000. A spartan spec is a non issue. I'm currently interested in a Hilux CrewCab 2.8G or a Ranger Crew.

iii) A support network for the final vehicle as agreed upon is paramount. Cost wouldn't make much of a difference. Readily available spares is a huge necessity as I'm required to leave behind my vehicle by the end of next year to the next fella who will be contracted to work and hopefully it still needs to able to take a proper beating down the line.

As I was made to understand the VW Amarok is not currently being brought to SL and I've heard a few horror stories about the agents so let's leave that and the Mazda ute out. Does Sri Lanka have a strong presence from Isuzu? I would like a clarification on that aswell. Now to my three main questions.

i) What's the import duty on a dual purpose vehicle? Is it the 57% that's been touted around or is it a much different amount?

II) Who are some of the reputed car sellers if we so decide to skip an agent? Is skipping the Agent advisable? (Toyota Lanka seems to have a good reputation at-least on word of mouth but how has softlogic fared so far?)

III) What are my other options if I decide to go a different way from a ute and decide on something different that might still fit my needs of being able to properly take a good beating down the road, carry aid material frequently and still be very reliable for around the same budget?

Thanks heaps. Cheers

Hi Hermano

Welcome to SL.

If you are so reluctant on importing the vehicle yourself just ignore my suggestion.

1) a brand new Hilux can be bought here from a reputed seller (would rather not mention names here) for around LKR 10mil (may be lesser) without the hassle of considering duty. (If you are OK with a 15-20k Km on the clock used one, it will cost you only 50% of your budget)

2) Toyota agent support is available even you have bought it from another party. But most of repairs/services are paid.

3) Other than Hilux, with the routes you have mentioned, I suggest a Land Rover Defender which can be bought under LKR 10mil.

Hope above helped you making a decision.

 

[iRage]

Hi Hermano

Welcome to SL and congrats on deciding to buy a vehicle

A quick question first....are you entitled to a duty free import ? or is your organization entitled to it ?

Anyway....a few notes:

1. If after-sales and warranty service is important..stick with the agents ! Third party imports will talk a big talk and offer you the sun and the moon and even make themselves better than the agents in terms of warranty and service..but it is all just %^*& BS. With the agents you always get the manufacturer warranty...with third party dealers..they simply cannot offer the manufacturer warranty no matter what is said and done.

2. I am not entirely sure if any of the non-premium brand agents offer replacement vehicles...however I believe you can work out breakdown service, etc...(perhaps at a slight premium). However, you have to keep in mind that it might not be readily available/offered through-out the island.

3. As long as you stick to a run-of-the-mill brand like Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, parts availability and accessibility should not be an issue.

4. Isuzu is somewhat present. I believe the agent is Sathosa Motors. Apart from the larger trucks I don't think the pick-up/ute vehicles are that popular in SL. However, they do offer it in SL

5. You can also look in to somewhat utilitarian SUVs like the Fortuner or Montero/Pajero Sport or even the Isuzu MU (or whatever they call it now). They are all pretty much a pickup truck frame with a SUV body stuck on top and some have slightly improved suspension that its pickup counterpart. Its suitability depends on what kind of cargo you actually want to carry.

So..uhh...yeah.....all the best

 

[Hoonigan]

Hi Hermano, welcome to SL and to the forum. I'd stick with your initial choice; the Hilux. It will fulfill all the requirements you have mentioned and definitely can take the beating the Sri Lankan back roads has to offer. Being a Toyota, agent support and parts availability should not be a problem. The alternative I can think of is the Navara but it's not the popular choice for whatever reason.

[Kavvz]

What the hell is a ute? A four door pickup / a four door truck a.k.a double cab?

[Muditha420]

1 hour ago, Kavvz said:

What the hell is a ute? A four door pickup / a four door truck a.k.a double cab?

its a shorten way of saying "utility" basically for dual purpose vehicles (2-wheeled or 4), cabs, crew cabs. I heard that word when i got to know about Vauxhall n Holden, specifically the HSV Maloo R8 Ute.

[Kavvz]

46 minutes ago, Muditha420 said:

its a shorten way of saying "utility" basically for dual purpose vehicles (2-wheeled or 4), cabs, crew cabs. I heard that word when i got to know about Vauxhall n Holden, specifically the HSV Maloo R8 Ute.

Ah! So its an ozzie thing...k no wonder. Thanks for clearing that up. 

(Btw I googled the HSV Maloo R8 Ute and man! That's one strange car! What purpose does it serve? Its got too much power for a work truck / commercial use, its too damn long and bulky as a sports car and its too unrefined to use as luxury highway cruiser- what on earth is one to do with that car? Or in Australian: Bloody oath mate! What is a bloke to do with that thing other than have a bangaroo in the back>? )

Edited September 5, 2016 by Kavvz

[hrm]

28 minutes ago, Kavvz said:

Ah! So its an ozzie thing...k no wonder. Thanks for clearing that up. 

(Btw I googled the HSV Maloo R8 Ute and man! That's one strange car! What purpose does it serve? Its got too much power for a work truck / commercial use, its too damn long and bulky as a sports car and its too unrefined to use as luxury highway cruiser- what on earth is one to do with that car? Or in Australian: Bloody oath mate! What is a bloke to do with that thing other than have a bangaroo in the back>? )

 

Yes. I've watched a lot of Australian crime documentaries and according to them you can easily rent and transport a dead body in a Ute to a dump site perhaps. Less suspicious.

 

In would prefer Mitsubishi pickup trucks and I think they are little bit cheaper than Toyotas.

[Davy]

1 hour ago, Kavvz said:

Ah! So its an ozzie thing...k no wonder. Thanks for clearing that up. 

(Btw I googled the HSV Maloo R8 Ute and man! That's one strange car! What purpose does it serve? Its got too much power for a work truck / commercial use, its too damn long and bulky as a sports car and its too unrefined to use as luxury highway cruiser- what on earth is one to do with that car? Or in Australian: Bloody oath mate! What is a bloke to do with that thing other than have a bangaroo in the back>? )

The HSV Maloo is a high performance Ute (HSV stands for Holden Special Vehicle). But there are Utes from both Holden and Ford (The XR6 Ute to be specific) in Australia (among other brands) that are extensively used for all of the purposes you have highlighted above.

Edited September 5, 2016 by Davy

[Muditha420]

1 hour ago, Kavvz said:

Ah! So its an ozzie thing...k no wonder. Thanks for clearing that up. 

(Btw I googled the HSV Maloo R8 Ute and man! That's one strange car! What purpose does it serve? Its got too much power for a work truck / commercial use, its too damn long and bulky as a sports car and its too unrefined to use as luxury highway cruiser- what on earth is one to do with that car? Or in Australian: Bloody oath mate! What is a bloke to do with that thing other than have a bangaroo in the back>? )

Think of it this way "there is no faster way to deliver your piggys n sheeps than this on time every time"... well maybe the pigs might become bacon at the end of the trip but Damn!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG4KXjI_Suo

 

[The Stig]

5 hours ago, Kavvz said:

Ah! So its an ozzie thing...k no wonder. Thanks for clearing that up. 

(Btw I googled the HSV Maloo R8 Ute and man! That's one strange car! What purpose does it serve? Its got too much power for a work truck / commercial use, its too damn long and bulky as a sports car and its too unrefined to use as luxury highway cruiser- what on earth is one to do with that car? Or in Australian: Bloody oath mate! What is a bloke to do with that thing other than have a bangaroo in the back>? )

This is the only purpose I can see

 

[Magnum]

20 hours ago, Kavvz said:

Ah! So its an ozzie thing...k no wonder. Thanks for clearing that up. 

(Btw I googled the HSV Maloo R8 Ute and man! That's one strange car! What purpose does it serve? Its got too much power for a work truck / commercial use, its too damn long and bulky as a sports car and its too unrefined to use as luxury highway cruiser- what on earth is one to do with that car? Or in Australian: Bloody oath mate! What is a bloke to do with that thing other than have a bangaroo in the back>? )

Utes are quite popular in Australia, I think some time back I saw a pic of a R33/34 converted to a ute as well

[Kavvz]

On 05/09/2016 at 6:04 AM, The Stig said:

This is the only purpose I can see

 

Wow! Well hell yeah! I'd be on-board with that, as long as I get to go around in the Bentley. No Ute's for me- regardless of how great they are for the odd bangaroo OR transporting dead bodies!!  

Edited September 9, 2016 by Kavvz

[Kavvz]

On 05/09/2016 at 1:16 AM, hrm said:

 

Yes. I've watched a lot of Australian crime documentaries and according to them you can easily rent and transport a dead body in a Ute to a dump site perhaps. Less suspicious.

lol! Well that's a good enough reason! Apparently the Italian mob in NY buys the Cadillac DeVille / Cadillac DTS for the same reason 

[Hermano]

Folks thanks so much for the input. I've decided to go with a Hilux Extra Cab. Special props to AJ84, iRage and Hoonigan. Would be back with a few photos of the ute after it's fully kitted out. Cheers fellas, and yes back down under the ute is a way of life!