Only 40% Financing on Cars Now — Sensible Brake or Locking Buyers Out?

Since May 2026 the Central Bank capped vehicle loan-to-value at 40% for cars and SUVs, and 60% for commercial vehicles, well below the looser limits of the pent-up import boom. Add the 50% import duty surcharge, now extended to December 31, and August registrations fell nearly 14% in a month to the lowest total since November last year. One side says this is overdue discipline: too many people were leasing cars they couldn't really afford, and a tighter LTV protects both buyers and banks from another debt spiral. The other side says it just locks out anyone without serious savings, pushing young buyers and families toward older, riskier vehicles bought on cash, or into informal lenders charging far more than the 18% AER cap on proper leases. Dealers say footfall is down but "genuine buyers" still close deals, just slower and with bigger down payments. Does the 40% LTV cap feel like sensible brakes, or is it shutting out buyers who'd have managed fine a year ago? If you financed a vehicle this year, what down payment did you actually pay, and did the bank hold to the limit? මාසික වාරිකය අඩු කරන්න රෙගුලාසි දාලා, දැන් අත පසුම්බියෙන් ගහන්න ඕන වෙලා - මේකෙන් වැඩක් තියෙනවද?