He said the review must also ensure that vehicles brought into the country met stringent standards to avoid the importation of cars that put the lives of both users and others in danger.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Odaymat explained that “some of these vehicles are sourced from other markets with conditions that are different from ours.

 The quality level might not be the same and that can put the user in danger”.

He also expressed concern over what he described as the heavy importation of sub-standard spare parts and added that many of such spare parts were from unapproved agents, making it possible for the dealers to flood the market with cheap but fake products.

He said the issue of old vehicles and fake spare parts did not only compromise safety but also affected the image of brands because people would have bad impressions about a vehicle they imported into the country which was not designed for the conditions in the country.

“Because of the experience you have with the car that came from outside and not meant for our market, you may end up saying that a particular brand is not good,” he stated.

Cost of ownership

Mr Odaymat stated that although used vehicles might come cheaper as compared to new ones, the cost of maintaining the old vehicle in the long-term could be higher, including other inconveniences.

He, therefore, advised the public to always consider the cost of long-term ownership of the vehicle and not the immediate cost.

“For instance, when you buy a vehicle from us, you get a five-year warranty among other packages. Supposing you sourced an old car elsewhere at a cheaper price, you will lose these benefits and end up paying more,” he stated.

Rana Motors

Rana Motors and Metal Works Engineering Company Limited, the authorised distributor of Kia Motors in Ghana, started as a workshop for servicing and repairing of various automotive brands in Accra in 1976.

After 10 years of experience, it was appointed the authorised distributors of Kia Motors and has maintained its partnership with the manufacturers till date, making it the lead distributor of the Kia brand in the West African region.

The company imports the whole product range of vehicles produced by Kia Motors, including the latest models of Sportage, Soul, Picanto, Rio, Optima, Sorento, Cerato and Forte.

It has branches in Accra, Tema, Spintex, Takoradi and Kumasi, while plans are underway to expand to other regions.

Mr Odaymat stated that one of the things that had propelled the progression of the company over the years was its customer focus agenda, in that the safety and comfort of the customer were put first before any thing.