Former Sri Lankan former Lasith Malinga has bought a Genesis GV80 Black coupe. The luxury SUV that he bought seems to be a pre-owned one, and Malinga shared a video of himself and his wife taking delivery of it on Instagram. It shows the couple taking the wraps off the vehicle with the registration plate ‘LM 0990’.
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This number plate that reads ‘ LM 0990 Victoria’ was previously used on his Toyota RAV4 as well. In many foreign countries, like the UK for example, they let you keep the number plate even when you sell your current vehicle, for use on the next. Further, the LM in this plate seems to denote the first letters of Lasith Malinga. Interestingly, there’s even a (Bulk Carrier) ship named LM Victoria! Strange coincidence?
Coming back to Malinga’s new car. Genesis is the luxury sub-vertical of Hyundai, and the GV80 Black is a highly respected product for the luxury and comfort offered. It has its exterior and cabin finished in Black. It comes in two distinct versions- the GV80 Black and Black coupe.
The design gets sleek surfaces, clean lines and a lot of Black details. The grille, bumper garnish, front emblem, daylight opening (DLO) moulding, roof racks, and rear bumper moulding are finished in Black. However, on Malinga’s car, the grille doesn’t wear Black. This makes us doubt if this is the GV80 Black or a random Black GV80.
The cabin is spacious and offers a lot of creature comforts and technology. The GV 80 Black has a lot of Black accents, highlights and trims on the inside as well. The interior has premium quality Nappa leather, real wood garnish, and premium car mats. Key features include a 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 21-speaker Lexicon audio, electric side curtains, driver-controlled second and third-row seating, 27-inch OLED touchscreen, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Electric tilting and telescoping steering wheel.
Powering the SUV is a 3.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 380 hp. The vehicle can do the 0-100 kph run in just 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 240 km/h. Even though there have long been rumours about Hyundai bringing its luxury vertical to India, we have no confirmed information yet on if this will happen in the upcoming years. Currently, Genesis models are on sale in multiple global markets.
Why Do Celebs Choose Pre-Owned Cars?
The core reason is that buying a used car makes for a wiser financial choice. Used cars offer huge savings over new ones. While new-car buyers are concerned about ‘depreciation’, those buying used cars consider it their Messiah! It is depreciation that pumps value into pre-owned car buys. To give you a quick example, a pre-owned Bentley is at least a Crore cheaper than a brand-new one!
For brand-new luxury cars, the depreciation is quite high. However, with used ones, it is much lower. This means the value of a used luxury car is retained for a longer period. Most celebs upgrade their cars quite often. They thus have to play it wisely with their finances. The growth of a reliable used car network has also contributed to an increased acceptance for these.
Now take the case of Sri Lankan cricketers. They are not as rich as Indian cricketers and often do not have as many assets. We had previously reported Suraj Randiv and Chinthaka Jayasinghe working as bus drivers in Melbourne, Australia. So, the not-so-generous financial freedom could also have contributed to Malinga settling down for a pre-owned Genesis. (It is definitely an upgrade over his previous Toyota though!)
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