Vans as personal transport?

Some Singaporeans turn to vans as car prices soar

By Christopher Tan

When businessman Solomon Tang, 37, was shopping for a compact runabout for his mother-in-law recently, he bought a Renault Kangoo van.

It may not be the last word in sleekness, but at around $70,000 brand new, the 1.5-litre diesel van was far cheaper than some of the cheapest passenger cars. An entry-level Toyota sedan, the Vios 1.5, for instance, costs $100,000.

Mr Tang said of the van: 'It's more practical than a car. And it runs on diesel, so you save quite a lot.'

THE PRICE ATTRACTION

• A brand new Renault Kangoo costs around $70,000. An entry-level sedan like the Toyota Vios 1.5, in comparison, costs $100,000
• A 2.5-litre turbo-diesel Navara double-cab pick-up, which seats five adults comfortably, costs slightly over $100,000
• A 2006 Avery, a 660cc petrol van, sells for $25,000 to $28,000

THE MINUSES

• Commercial vehicles have low scrap value
• They have a 70kmh speed limit
• They have higher insurance premiums - $1,500 for a mature driver with a 50 per cent no-claims bonus, compared to $1,000 for a mid-size car
• Installing a sofa seat in the rear is illegal

With cars at near record prices - thanks to a limited supply of certificates of entitlement - buyers have begun looking at cheaper options.


SOURCE

Your thoughts? A van is cheaper, but not any cheaper. Latest COE of the commercial category is S$40,000. Crazy much? And in comfort sense, a van loses out to a normal 4-door saloon car, with only the front of the van with seats whilst the back is theoretically speaking, for goods.

At the end of the day, it's every Singaporean's dream to own personal transport. Is it yours too?