Four years is a long time to be cut off from the rest of the world. That’s how long it has been since the Sri Lankan government banned the import of motor vehicles. A few thousand new cars have been imported and registered in those ensuing years under partially locally assembled guise or by means ...

Published on 04 Mar 2025

At first glance it looks like a very smart Escort MkII. But a quick glance inside the car tells you that this is no ordinary Escort. The kill switch, hydraulic hand brake and the purposeful looking tachometer tells you that there is something potent lurking under the hood. Ajith Hemachandra, the own...

Published on 23 Feb 2025

Bang up-to-date Double Cab

JAC. Isn’t that a commercial vehicle maker? Well, yes. JAC Group, or Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp. Ltd, is a Chinese vehicle maker based in Hefei, Anhui Province, China. ...

Published on 10 Jan 2025

Micro Cars Debuts Latest Locally Assembled Contender

Locally assembled cars represent the only chance for the general public to taste a brand-new vehicle that’s newer than 2020. I’ve talked about the import ban and its effects in previous tests, so I shall not repeat myself. The latest locally assembled contender is the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro from Micr...

Published on 10 Nov 2024

We drive this latest EV contender

What’s this? We haven’t seen a brand-new Ssangyong in Sri Lanka for ages. Well, chalk that down to the import ban. The brand has been alive and kicking, see-sawing from South Korean to Indian, and back to South Korean ownership. The latest owner is a consortium spearheaded by South Korea’s KG ...

Published on 04 Sep 2024

A Stunning Land Cruiser BJ45 Build

The Toyota Land Cruiser needs no introduction… really. Since 1951, over ten million have been sold worldwide. Sri Lanka has enjoyed her fair share of Land Cruisers as well. Thanks to the vehicular appetites of our politicians and the well-heeled, you see plenty of 200-series examples on the roads ...

Published on 11 Mar 2024

First Drive

Electric vehicles are slowly trickling into our car-starved shores, due to a permit system. We’ve seen quite a few cars on social media, and here, we were fortunate to get our hands on the very first Hyundai Ioniq 5 to land in Sri Lanka. Imported by the agents Abans Auto, the kind folks there dese...

Published on 27 Dec 2023

Mahindra’s locally-assembled compact gains a diesel engine and autobox

Over three years ago, we sampled the Mahindra KUV100, the first locally assembled vehicle to come out of Ideal Motors’ brand-spanking-new assembly facility in Mathugama, Kalutara District. The company had impressive plans for its facility, at least they did until the economic crisis hit everyone l...

Published on 26 Sep 2023

These open-topped two-seat Kei cars enjoy an ardent following in Sri Lanka

The rain was pouring with verve on the morning of Sunday of 11th June, but that didn’t stop 13 dedicated aficionados of the Daihatsu Copen & Honda S660 Club Sri Lanka from gathering at Galle Face for a drive to the Beach Park at Port City. One by one, these pint-sized two-seaters showed up, their ...

Published on 03 Aug 2023

A Single Family Car That’s Jumped Through Hoops to get here

The famed automotive journalist L. J. K. Setright wrote of the Fuego, “…is blessed with a body which is not only roomy and aerodynamically efficient, but is also beautiful…” Introduced in 1980, this three-door French sports hatchback did indeed turn heads with its distinctive style and caugh...

Published on 02 Aug 2023