Choosing the right vehicle for tourism purposes

Now that the import ban has been lifted, our car-starved country is finally having its appetite for new vehicles being satiated. Yes, prices are astronomically higher than before. That’s because of several factors, the most significant ones being exchange rates and increased taxation. However, if you’re in the tourism industry, you might be thinking about buying a new vehicle. That’s because tourists would like to travel in something relatively new, of course.

So, how do you pick the right vehicle? As an automotive writer and test driver who has tested over 100 cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and vans todate, let me give you some pointers. As a rough indication, the features that I mention in this article can be found in vehicles retailing around or below the Rs. 20 million mark – yes, that’s the new “affordable” segment today!

Interior Considerations

When picking a vehicle for tourism, the interior should be your first consideration. That’s because this is where your tourists will spend most of their time when on the road. If you’re looking at a five-seat vehicle (that’s driver plus four passengers), we’re talking about a two-row vehicle in automotive parlance. Here, you’ve got plenty of options, including cars, SUVs and pickup trucks. Don’t discount pickup trucks, because the models from 2025 are quite impressive, not just in terms of sheer interior features, but ride comfort. So, here are some key features you should consider in the interior of a vehicle. And yes, there are vehicles in the market right now that tick all the boxes below:-

• Enough space in the front passenger seat for larger individuals to fit comfortably.
• Ample rear head and legroom, even with the front seats pushed fully backwards, because taller individuals should feel comfortable as well.
• A powerful air conditioner that can easily chill the cabin even on the hottest days.
• Rear air conditioning vents, to ensure ample cooling for rear-seat occupants. Remember that they may be coming from colder countries and therefore may not be accustomed to our combination of heat and humidity.
• Rear USB charging ports so that they can charge their devices, wherever they sit.

A little note on three-row SUVs; Most brand-new, three-row SUVs are compact-class models. This means that while having seven seats on paper is nice, the third row is, in actuality, only suitable for small children. Plus, you’ll sacrifice a lot of cargo capacity when those seats are deployed. So, if you want something that can carry more than five people (including driver), go for a passenger van instead. Either that or you’ll have to venture into midsize or full-size SUV territory, and I don’t need to tell you how pricey those are – some are pushing 100 million rupees!

Cargo Considerations

The trunk of a vehicle for tourism has to be capacious. That’s because you might have tourists coming for two-week extended tours around our beautiful island, hence, each person may have their own medium or large-sized bag. Then, there’s hand luggage, camera bags, laptops, handbags, etc… so you need plenty of cargo space. Trunk space is typically measured in litres, and a minimum of 500 litres is sufficient. More is better. If you’re choosing a pickup truck, you should have a cargo cover installed, as this provides weatherproof and secure storage, turning the truck bed into a massive trunk. It’s not uncommon to get over 1,000 litres of cargo space this way.

Safety Features

All brand-new vehicles nowadays come with anti-lock brakes, child safety locks for the rear doors, airbags and stability control systems and crumple zones. Some include features such as automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and 360-degree camera systems. I’ve even tested sub-20-million-rupee vehicles with adaptive cruise control and lane-following capabilities – basically semi-autonomous driving on the highway, which requires you to maintain a light grip on the steering wheel, but the vehicle steers, accelerates and brakes for you.

Performance and Ride Comfort

Now this is where you should always test-drive a vehicle before making a decision. Ideally, bring at least three or four adults with you, so that you can get an idea of how the vehicle performs under loaded conditions. You want to see how punchy the powertrain is, which is critical for travelling in mountainous areas. Then, you want to make sure that the ride comfort is decent, even when the rear seat is fully loaded. Better yet, get someone else to drive for a while and park yourself in the rear seat. Then, you’ll know how your tourists are going to feel in your new vehicle.

So there you are. In a future article, I’ll talk about the various powertrain choices, such as petrol/diesel, hybrid, and EV. In the meantime, always remember to test-drive any vehicle that you’re planning to buy, be it for tourism or personal purposes. After all, you’re putting down a hefty chunk of money on that purchase, so better make sure that it’s absolutely suitable for purpose.

Ashraaq Wahab - Director of Sales & Marketing and Technical  Hospitality Sri Lanka, Automotive  Journalist, Marketer, Photographer and Writer, who enjoys penning his thoughts, insights and ideas on a variety of topics.

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