Assalam-o-Alaikum!
I have been curious for a while about how false concepts have been normalised in the automotive industry in Pakistan.
I am not exactly sure whether to call them misconceptions, lack of knowledge, or blatant lies, but how firmly they’re believed in is worrying and makes me question my own understanding and sanity at times.
That got too generic. Let’s start with a very basic example: trim levels.
Note: I am a car enthusiast but no expert. I am pretty sure I could have a couple of things wrong but I’ll be open to your feedback. Please take the rant as a…. well….rant
I am pretty sure this applies to other cars as well but I have a Prado FJ120 (2004) that I’ve owned for about 7 years now. It’s a TX Limited with 5VZ so not the best trim out there but I am still very very fond of it and the 120 series in general.
However, I often, actually quite frequently, meet people describing their 120s as a TZ.G. I could be wrong but I don’t think a TZ.G was even conceived before the year of 2015. And I’ve also noticed a surge in the trend quite recently. Too convenient, isn’t it? Wonder where all these Gs from a 15-20 year old model were hiding until just a couple of years ago.
Don’t overlook it as just some petty people lying to brag. It’s not just that. I feel like it’s something way bigger than that. These are lies/misconceptions driven by businesses, crafted and mainstreamed to rip off gullible people.
In the Gilgit-Baltistan market, the TZ trim is more popular than the TX due to the recent boom in tourism. This means a lot of people buy the 120s only to earn via bookings. Hence, there weren’t many people buying the TX because the population here is moderately middle class. This also meant that the TX would be way cheaper than the TZ (by almost one and a half million at one point that I remember which is ridiculous considering most of these are NCP) so to justify this gap, came a new trim level - the TZ.G.
If you haven’t seen a 1997 or 2003 TZ.G before, let me tell you how it looks. Literally a standard TZ with an off market G badge glued to its back with silicone.
Moreover, when you meet someone who probably paid a million extra just to get a trim level that doesn’t exist, you can nearly always expect them to be defensive. “It’s the leather seats” or “heated seats” and this one’s my favourite “it’s a < literally any random country > model”. One of the guys with a 120 that had a 2nd gen Fortuner Rims looked me dead in the eyes and said that it was an “exclusive option for London models”.
In my opinion, here’s how it all gets mainstreamed:
A showroom sells 5 2004 “TZ.Gs” to 5 people who pay extra for that non existent trim level. Those 5 people at some point end up selling their “TZ.Gs” to 5 people and now there are 10 people who believe in the “TZ.G” and it only keeps growing from there just like a pyramid scheme.
And like I previously mentioned, this isn’t limited to Prados or GB as a region. It’s way more common than we think. I came across a showroom in Punjab where a 1995 Corolla Indus apparently had a 360 Camera option as stock, or like he put it “Ginwan”.
Sigh. My question is….WHY? Who are spreading these lies? Why are they doing it? Are they even lies at this point?
And it’s not limited to the example I just gave. Go to any spare part store in any corner of the country and see how they just won’t stop lying about the stuff they’re selling. Not even just spare parts. Anything. Any store. Anywhere.
The worst part is that even when you know more than they do, and as much as you try to confront them, they’ll look down on you as if you’re the one that’s ignorant.
That’s it for the rant. I’d be interested in knowing about your experiences.