The chairman of a vehicle affordability task team appointed by the MIDP, Roger Pitot, has lashed out at the much-publicised comparison between the cost of the local Toyota Run-X and its Australian counterpart.
The chairman of a vehicle affordability task team appointed by the MIDP, Roger Pitot, has lashed out at the much-publicised comparison between the cost of the local Toyota Run-X and its Australian counterpart.
Pitot said the suggestion by Cape Town businessman Werner Hendrickz that the top-of-the-range Run-X cost just under R200 000 while the top-specification Toyota Accent would cost less than half that price in Australia was “patently nonsense.”
He told that Hendrickz had used the “cheapest despecced” Australian model as the basis for his comparison. Pitot said after making the necessary adjustments “to compare apples with apples”, the South African product only cost about 15 per cent more than its nearest Australian equivalent.
“Cars will never be priced the same in various countries, due to the different markets and price positioning,” he said.
Roger Houghton, the general manager of public affairs at Toyota SA, said the two vehicles compared by Hendrikz were not the same car, although they might look the same.
Houghton said the South African version had a higher level of sound proofing and when the vehicle arrived in Australia it was fitted with local tyres, battery, air conditioning, sound system and front bumper.
"But there are over 60 differences in the specs between the Corolla hatchback in South Africa and the similar model in Australia."
"Our price also includes VAT and a five-year or 90 000km service plan," he said.
