With drivers making use of every inch of space available to navigate traffic on Cairo's crowded roads, it stands to reason that local drivers would choose the smallest car possible for easy maneuvering. Word on the street, however, is that compact cars are out, and bigger is now better. The small, practical cars of old are fast being replaced by growing numbers of mid- and large-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) models available at Cairo's dealerships. Currently, 18 SUV models are available locally at Egyptian dealers ranging in price from the Daihatsu Terios at LE 114,000 to the BMW X6 at LE 1,600,000. Other models on offer include the ever-popular BMW X3, as well as the little-known Chinese models Komodo and Chery Tiggo and the Mahindra Scorpio, an Indian SUV introduced to Egypt in 2008. And, of course, the ever-popular Jeep Cherokee. Demand deluge With plenty of mid-range offerings as well as the low and high-priced models, there is now an SUV to suit the taste and price range of most drivers in Egypt - and the proof is in the sales. Local dealerships have seen more buyers looking for large vehicles, particularly since the explosion of development in New Cairo. "People come in saying they want a safe, big car so they will be less vulnerable to accidents on the highways. They feel that an SUV is a safer option for driving on the outskirts of the city, said a sales representative at Bavarian Auto in Kattameya, which offers BMW models as well as the Mahindra Scorpio. "Of course, people's choice depends on their price range, but we've seen high continuous demand for the X series since it's a very popular car in Egypt. The demand for the Mahindra is going up as well as more people learn about it and see it on the streets, he continued. Even at the Mercedes flagship store on the Maadi Corniche, where Egyptians normally flock to pick up a luxury sedan or sports car, SUVs are the request of the moment. "A lot of buyers have been coming in wanting to test out the GLK (Mercedes SUV) - it's definitely not the majority of our business, but it seems like a lot more people are interested in SUVs than before, said a salesman at the dealership. Price point While SUVs are available in a range of prices, a minimum price tag of LE 114,000 for the cheapest model on offer still puts SUVs beyond the reach of the majority of Egypt's population. This, along with the fact that SUV drivers spend more on fuel due to low gas mileage ratings for the majority of SUVs, makes the market an exclusive one driven by Cairo's upwardly mobile urban elite. According to Radwan Fathy, branch manager of Almasaoud dealership in Maadi, this is simply the reality of Egypt's socioeconomic status quo. "The wealth in Egypt's business community is increasing rapidly. The rich are getting richer and can thus afford more luxury items like high-priced SUVs, while the poor have increased socioeconomic obstacles, he explained. Fathy went on to say that although the market for SUVs is driven largely by Egypt's wealthy elite, the increased availability of financing has begun to make a broader selection of vehicles available to a larger segment of the population. "Before financing, you had to have enough cash on hand to purchase the car you wanted and that wasn't an option for the majority of people. Even though cars remain expensive in Egypt, financing and the developing of credit is helping people purchase better cars on a smaller income, he said. Foreign affairs Despite the wide selection of SUVs available locally, a large contingent of imported vehicles are to be seen around town, particularly in summer when tourists from the Gulf countries arrive with their Hummers in tow. Foreign employees of multinational companies can also often be seen driving around Maadi in imported Dodge Durangos and Toyota Land Cruisers bearing the ubiquitous yellow "gomrok license plates. According to Fathy, scenes like this are part of the reason that SUVs are quickly gaining popularity in Cairo. "Foreign trends are contagious. At the moment, it is very trendy to drive big cars in Egypt and more people are going in that direction with their vehicle purchases, he said. But imitation of the American love for huge gas-guzzling cars only partially explains the rise in demand for SUVs in the local market. For many Cairenes, especially those living, working or attending school in Cairo's new suburbs, the choice of an SUV is more about safety than style. Ehab Hisham, a student at the German University in Cairo and a Daihatsu Terios driver, told Daily News Egypt that when it came time for his first car, an SUV was the only option. "My university is in New Cairo, and so I wanted a car that could handle dangerous highway driving and offer more protection if I got into an accident. I just feel safer driving in my SUV, he said. Parents entrusting their children's transportation to drivers also put a premium on the safety of their vehicles. Nancy Ismail, a housewife and mother of three in Maadi, persuaded her husband to buy an SUV for the driver to use when taking the kids to and from school in the Fifth Settlement. "I worry about them driving on the ring road because almost every day you hear about some huge accident happening there - I want my kids in a big and safe car that won't be easily crushed in an accident, she said. Ismail and her husband chose the VW Touareg, a choice, she says, that has brought her peace of mind. "I'm glad we got the Touareg, even though it is pricey, because VWs are reliable and the Touareg is larger than most other cars on the road, which makes me feel safer about my kids riding in it, she said. Though SUVs offer Cairo drivers a psychological break, a long-term increase in the popularity of these gas-guzzling vehicles could be problematic for the city's already polluted air. But until road conditions improve and more precautions are taken to ensure safety on local highways, the feeling of security provided by SUVs will remain the factor that matters most to local drivers. The lowdown on SUVs available in Egypt Model: Daihatsu Terios SportEngine Type: Four-cylinder, 1298 cc Power: 84 bhp @ 6000 rpmTorque: 89 lb ft @ 3200 rpmTransmission: Five-speed manual, four-wheel drive Fuel: 36.7 mpg (combined)CO2: 183 g/kmAcceleration: 0 to 62 mph: 12.9 secTop speed: 90 mphPrice: LE 114,000 Model: Nissan X-TrailEngine Type: Four-cylinder, 2184 cc Power: 112 bhpTransmission: Six-speed manual Fuel: 39.2 mpg (combined cycle) Acceleration: 0-62 mph: 13.7 sec Top speed: 103 mphPrice: LE 225,000 Model: VW TiguanEngine Type: 1995 cc, four cylinders Power: 150 bhp @4000 rpmTorque: 251 lb ft @ 2000 rpm Transmission: Six-speed manual Fuel: 39.2 mpg (combined)CO2: 189 g/km Acceleration: 0-62 mph: 10.5 sec Top speed: 116 mphPrice: LE 250,000 Other SUVs available from VW in Egypt: Touareg (LE 932,000) Model: Suzuki Grand Vitara Engine Type: 1870 cc, four cylinders, diesel Power: 129 bhp Transmission: Five-speed manual Fuel: 36.7 mpg (combined) CO2: 205 g/kmAcceleration: 0-60 mph: 13.2 sec Top speed: 106 mph Price: LE 280,000 Other SUVs available from Suzuki in Egypt: Vitara (LE 140,000) Model: Audi Q7 Engine Type: 5934 cc, V12 Power: 493 bhp @ 3750 rpm Torque: 738 lb ft @ 1750 rpm Transmission: Six-speed tiptronic Fuel: 25 mpg (combined cycle) C02: 299 g/km Acceleration: 0-62 mph: 5.5 sec Top Speed: 155 mph Price: LE 1,000,000 Other SUVs available from Audi in Egypt: Q5 (LE 556,000) Model: BMW X6Engine Type: 4395 cc, V8Power: 408 bhp @ 5500 rpmTorque: 442 lb ft @ 1750 rpmTransmission: Six-speed automatic with paddle shiftFuel: 22.6 mpgCO2: 299 g/kmAcceleration: 0-62 mph: 5.4 secTop speed: 155 mph (limited)Price: LE 1,600,000 Other SUVs available from BMW in Egypt: X3 (LE 470,000); X5 (LE 1,500,000) Other SUV models available in Egypt: Mahindra Scorpio (LE 120,000); Chery Tiggo (LE 120,000); Komodo (LE 170,000); Diesel Prado Land Cruiser (LE 300,000); Mercedes GLK (LE 520,000); Mitsubishi Pajero (LE 660,000); Range Rover Sport (LE 1,250,000)
