A major reason for this is that a person can choose a car that best suits his needs, according to one of the salesmen, Abdul Ghafar.
“If a person is thinking about the rising cost of fuel, then there are several cars with low fuel consumption,” he said.
Furthermore, he added, the ease with which people could get information on different cars ensured that it would be business as usual in the automotive industry.
“People nowadays are smart and they have the internet,” he said. “They know how to find out which cars meet their needs. As long as there are choices available to them, then people will continue buying cars.”
On whether cars with high cylinder capacities (CC) would see a drop in sales, another car salesman, Azman Abdullah, said he did not believe this would be the case.
“Those who can afford cars with a higher CC aren’t worried about the price of petrol in the first place,” he said. “The ones who are going to feel the pinch are those who have lower salaries and they’re not going to be looking for cars with bigger CCs.”
Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Aishah Ahmad agreed with Azman.
“Will there be a drop in the sale of cars with higher CCs? I don’t think so,” she said. “People who can afford cars with higher CCs can also afford higher petrol costs.”
Hybrid vehicles
When asked whether high petrol prices would influence buyers to consider hybrid cars, both Abdul Ghafar and Azman said they didn’t think so.
“You have to remember that maintenance costs for hybrid cars are much higher,” said Abdul Ghafar. “So even if you might save a few cents in terms of petrol consumption, in the long run you’ll still end up paying more.
“You’re much better off buying a cheap car with low fuel consumption.”
Azman said the chances of finding a buyer for a hybrid car and one interested in a high CC car were about equal.
“Again, those who can afford to buy hybrid cars are also people who can afford petrol prices,” he said.
Aishah, however, said there might be a slight increase in the sale of hybrid cars.
“Hybrid cars do help you save a little in terms of fuel; so perhaps people will look into them,” she said.
More motorbikes?
A biking enthusiast has his own take on the issue. Azlan Sani Zawawi, who leads a biking group called Ikatan Silaturrahim Brotherhood, said he expected to see more motorcycles on the road as a result of the hike in fuel prices.
“The price of fuel is the main reason people turn to the motorcycle,” he said. “This is especially true of workers and youths.”
He said there had been an increase in the number of people switching to motorcycles since 2015, but he acknowledged that the rising price of petrol was not the only reason.
“The trend is also caused by traffic congestion in cities and people’s desire to live with less stress. This is especially the case with young executives.
“This interest in motorbikes was heightened with the emergence of reconditioned motorcycles as well as the introduction of Malaysian-made motorcycles.”