Luxury golf car manufacturer Garia showcased three vehicles at the PGA Show that will be a focus of marketing efforts this year in the US including a golf car, utility vehicle and a people mover.
Garia’s utility vehicle now available in the US.
Garia’s utility vehicle is already in production and ready for the US market, after being a great success in the Europe according to Garia representatives. What is somewhat surprising, given the price differential between their golf cars and typical golf cars, is the relatively low price of approximately $15,000 for the base utility model compared to what is currently on the market.The base model comes with a cab but no doors, no bed sides and no powerlift. The floor model on display included all of these plus a small Webasto diesel powered heater and is priced around $18,000.
The doors feature a sliding window and a unique latching system that can hold the door open flat against the vehicle.
The Garia Utility’s dash features a storage area, cupholders and inside knobs for adjusting side mirrors.
The underseat battery pack features a single-point watering system.
Adjustable seats in the Garia Utility.
An overhead stereo system with bluetooth connectivity is available for this model.
The utility vehicle features a 48-volt system with a 3Kw AC motor powered by six Trojan T875 batteries. A lithium battery option is available for a $5,000 premium. The vehicle features a galvanized steel frame, front disc and rear drum brakes, a 350 amp Curtis controller and a 620 kg. payload capacity. While the Garia Utility will still be more expensive than similar models on the market, management believes the quality, durability and ride of the vehicle compared to the extra cost will win over customers looking at the long-term ownership experience.
The Garia Golf Car.
Another vehicle being showcased is the Garia Golf Car which will be ready for the US market in March of this year. Some final changes are being made to the roof design which is now wider. The model is also designed so dealers can easily convert the vehicle from a two seater to a four seater. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Garia Golf Car is the marketing approach being used in the US. While priced too expensively to be a replacement for existing fleet golf cars, this model is being pitched as a fleet add-on where a course would purchase three or four for their fleet and charge extra for a luxury experience. According to Garia management some 15-20 resorts have already taken this route. This seems to be a really smart approach by Garia. Not only does it open up part of a market in which they would have a hard time competing through a traditional approach, but it is a market in which they likely will have limited competition. A course offering a select number of luxury golf cars will have a harder time selling that concept with a Club Car, E-Z-GO or Yamaha with extra bling compared to a Garia which from it’s inception has been designed and marketed to be a luxury golf car.
The new six-seater people mover from Garia.
Garia was also showcasing a six seat people mover that will be ready in June. A large order for custom vehicles for a collection of resort hotels in the Middle East gave rise to this model. While the custom version uses an aluminum chassis, the cost is prohibitive for the stock version, given the amount of aluminum needed to provide the needed stiffness for the long wheelbase. Instead a steel chassis will be used. Other changes to the floor
The six seater from Garia features a lot of legroom for occupants in the first and second rows.
The aluminum footrest for second row passengers is visible with the front seat raised.
The back two seats will be slightly narrower in the stock version to accommodate roof supports.
model pictured here is a roof and slightly narrower rear-facing seats. The base cost is expected to be approximately $16,200.
