While the world is reeling under the economic meltdown, a Gurgaon-based realtor-turned-politician has bought his son a Hummer — the H2 — by paying Rs 2 crore in cash.
“The Hummer H2 cost us about Rs 2 crore and we have paid the entire amount including customs and other duties,” claimed Sukhbir Singh Jonapuria, an Independent MLA from Sohna, who refused to divulge the exact amount or the source and channel of the purchase.
His family’s fleet includes a Pajero, a Lexus, a Mercedes, a Tavera and a Skoda, to name a few. Sources said the luxury multi-utility vehicle was imported from Parkway, a dealer based in California’s Valencia.
“Recently we celebrated my grandson’s birthday and my son Ashok Kumar (27), a director with S.S. Group, our real estate company, wanted to buy a Hummer. We placed the order six months ago and got it a week back. We paid the entire amount and did not seek a loan,” he added.
When quizzed about the global meltdown, the MLA said his company had no market borrowings and so faced no financial burden.
Cricketer Harbhajan Singh had dreamt of owning a Hummer H3 during the Twenty20 World Cup and actor Suniel Shetty had bought a Hummer H2 in 2005.
Jonapuria is yet to apply for the Hummer’s registration. Gurgaon vehicle registration officials said the charge is about 1.5 per cent of the cost for vehicles which cost over Rs 10 lakh. Thus, charges for the Hummer will be Rs 3 lakh if the vehicle cost Rs 2 crore.
{{/usCountry}}Jonapuria is yet to apply for the Hummer’s registration. Gurgaon vehicle registration officials said the charge is about 1.5 per cent of the cost for vehicles which cost over Rs 10 lakh. Thus, charges for the Hummer will be Rs 3 lakh if the vehicle cost Rs 2 crore.
{{/usCountry}}Going by the potential of sales of luxury cars, a number of automobile companies such as BMW, Audi, Toyota, Skoda and others have set up showrooms in Gurgaon. Audi’s biggest showroom in the country is on Golf Course Road in Gurgaon.
“We register 3-4 cars in the luxury segment, each costing Rs 25-80 lakh every month in Gurgaon. Ironically, 50 per cent of the buyers hail from villages while the rest have white-collar jobs,” a vehicle registration official said.