Is this the end for petrol-guzzling 4x4s in the UAE?

From dune bashing to the school run, the 4x4 has become a fixture of the UAE’s roads and desert, but petrol prices are set to go up from August 1.

The Emirates National Auto Museum in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National

From dune bashing to the school run, the 4x4 has become a fixture of the UAE’s roads and desert.

But the end of the era of cheap petrol could endanger the ubiquitous sport utility vehicle after the deregulation of fuel prices announced this week.

“In the long run, people are likely to move from large petrol-guzzling automobiles to fuel-efficient ones,” said John Lodewijks, a professor of economics at SP Jain Business School in Dubai. “Increasing petrol prices should boost fuel efficiency, encourage manufacturers to look at alternative sources of energy and lead to an increase in demand for public transport.”

But safety is also an important factor for many motorists fearful of the limited protection that smaller cars offer. Lindsey Parry, an Abu Dhabi expatriate lifestyle blogger who drives a 2013 Toyota Prado and spends about Dh480 per month on fuel, said that she would not consider swapping her 4x4 for a smaller car until drivers displayed safer driving behaviour and less aggression on the roads.

One Dubai resident, who drives a 2009 Porsche Cayenne and spends about Dh850 per month on petrol, said that “until driving behaviours improve, I’ll stick to my SUV”.

Experts said it was unlikely that the planned fuel increase, scheduled for August 1, would immediately result in a dramatic change in pump prices. “The government will try to balance [the fuel price rise] with its impact on the economy and its competitiveness,” said Monica Malik, ADCB’s chief economist.

Besides, even without subsidies, petrol will still be cheaper than in many countries that charge tax on filling up.

The pyramid-shaped Emirates National Auto Museum in Al Gharbia, home to Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan’s collection of 200 cars, reveals the significance of the four-wheel drive in the country’s recent history.

“My favourites are the off-road cars – the SUVs and pickups and jeeps.” Sheikh Hamdan said in 2010.

One of his favourite vehicles is the 1950s Dodge Power Wagon – the vehicle of choice of oil prospectors in the early days of hydrocarbon exploration.

That is why Sheikh Hamdan built himself a Power Wagon eight times larger than the original model – a 50-tonne, four-bedroom fusion between a mansion and a monster truck, which is also the world’s largest car.

But with the era of cheap petrol drawing to a close, the days of fuel-inefficient gas guzzler could be numbered.

Time will tell if the four-wheel drive vehicle itself eventually becomes a museum piece.

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