Kazakhstan residents overpay for new cars

Total.kz made a comparative analysis of the cars costs in Kazakhstan and other countries to reveal how much Kazakhstan residents overpay for new cars. It turned out that Kazakhstan residents have to pay for new cars more than Americans, Germans, Japanese and Belorussians. BMW 128i with a 230hp engine costs $31.2 thousand in the United States, while it costs around $46 thousand in Kazakhstan. The price of Jeep Grand Cherokee is around $27.195 in America. It can be bought in Kazakhstan and Russia for a minimum of $61.3 thousand. Volkswagen Gold GTI costs $23.995 in the U.S., while one can buy it for $34.2 thousand in Kazakhstan. People buying expensive cars are hit by the price difference the most. For example, a new Audi Q5 is sold for $35.6 thousand in the U.S. The price of this car with the equal packages starts at $61 thousand in Kazakhstan. Japanese cars are of course cheaper in Japan than in Kazakhstan. Crossover CX-5 costs $29.5 thousand in Kazakhstan, while it can be bought a few thousands cheaper in Japan. Honda Accord that is sold for around $34 thousand in Kazakhstan, costs $5 thousand less in Japan. The general rule is the same as in the U.S.: the more expensive the car is, the higher is the price difference. Toyota Land Cruiser 200 is estimated at $59 thousand in Japan, while it is sold for around $100 thousand in Kazakhstan. New cars are much cheaper in Belarus than in Kazakhstan. The most affordable version of A3 is sold for $22.9 thousand in Belarus. It is cheaper than in Germany. One can buy it in Kazakhstan for $27 thousand. BMW X5 3.0d can be bought in Belarus for $76.3 thousand, while the same version of this offroader is sold for $98 thousand in Kazakhstan. At first sight the cars are more expensive in Germany than in Kazakhstan. The simplest package Audi A3 costs $27.2 thousand in Germany and Skoda Superb can be bought for $34.4 thousand (both cars costs $27 thousand in Kazakhstan), while Volkswagen Gold GTI costs $36.8 thousand vs $36.1 thousand in Kazakhstan. However, it is necessary to consider the fact that a car loses at least 20 percent of its cost if it leaves the car dealer in Germany. That's why the car is cheaper than its equivalent in Kazakhstan even after payment of the customs duty. But one should take into consideration that roads in Germany are very good, unlike those in most of Kazakhstan. So the car driven on autobahns are in a much better shape. The analytical report of Kazakhstan Car Business Association shows a stable growth of Kazakhstan’s car market. Official dealers sold almost 48 thousand new cars in 7 months of 2012, which is 2.2 times more than last year.