GCC SPEC VS. AMERICAN SPEC VS. JAPANESES SPEC

The used car market in the UAE is full of choices for your next used car. Website listings for used cars are in the tens of thousands, which does not include cars that can be found in the Awir used car market. There are three types of car specs in the UAE: GCC specs, American specs, and Japanese specs.

Each of these three have positives and negatives, which means that the same make and model car can differ from market to market.

GCC spec cars are always the best equipped cars, especially for the UAE as they are designed for this part of the world. AC systems and engine cooling systems are usually bigger and more durable in order to take the soaring heat during the summer months.

American spec cars have a few drawbacks in model features for the UAE. For starters, the FM frequency operates differently than UAE radio waves. American spec cars can only tune into odd frequencies. Another drawback is the speedometer, American spec cars come with Mph speedometer which can cause some confusion because the unit of speed measurement in the UAE is Kmh.

Car condition is a big factor for those buying a used car. Japanese imports are usually in the best of shape when compared to GCC and American spec cars of the same make, model, and year. This is due to stringent rules in Japan about the full disclosure of the car’s condition. Japanese imports usually have much less mileage than GCC and American spec cars.

It is well known that American spec cars are the cheapest on the market. The case is almost always because they are salvage cars from US insurance companies. They are bought from US insurance companies in bulk by used car dealers based in the UAE for very cheap. Then they are repaired just enough to sell when in reality a lot of them have had chassis damage or have flood damage, which are issues that can only be spotted by certified mechanics.

Now the question remains, how do you differentiate between GCC, American, or Japanese spec cars? GCC spec cars are the easiest to spot, open the driver side door and read the car information plate, if you can see Arabic then it is GCC spec. American spec cars can be differentiated in two ways. The first one is by the speedometer, if the dominant unit is mph then its American spec. The other method is by the rear turn signals, American spec cars have red rear turn signals as opposed to orange. Japanese imports can be identified by the infotainments system in the car, you will get some information in Japanese. If the car does not have an infotainment system, check the inside of the driver side door, the car information plate should have writing in Japanese.

At the end of the day, you want a good road worthy used car, and these cars are not easy to tell apart. Your best option is to consult Scout My Car!