<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Rent a car for $29.90
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Firm is renting out 10 new China-made Chana Bennis, and will bring in 50 more soon </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Huang Huifen
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Mrs Pascal Vrignaud, 46, has taken up a three-month rental of a Benni for $800. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Drive a car for just $29.90 a day? It's possible, if you don't mind a China-made car.
A brand-new 1,300cc Chana Benni can be rented for just that price - inclusive of GST and insurance.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>It's more economical
'We found it cheaper to rent a car than to pay for our kids' school bus service or to take a taxi every day.'
FRENCH EXPATRIATE PASCALE VRIGNAUD, 46, who said it will cost her $1,200 to pay for a school bus to ferry her two children between their school in Ang Mo Kio and her home in Adam Road.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>This is believed to be the lowest rate here for new cars.
Ten of these five-seater hatchbacks are available for rent, with three sporting eye-catching 'Try me' teaser door and bumper stickers.
Euroauto Leasing, the year-old car rental firm that rents out the cars, said the response has been very good.
Mr Chris Lim, Euroauto's director of marketing and sales, said that since the launch of the manual transmission Bennis for rental last month, there have been more than 100 inquiries.
Most weekends will see the cars fully booked. Four of the 10 cars are on a long-term hire basis, from six months to a year. A month's rental is $800, after a $100 discount.
The average rental rate for a 1,300cc brand-new car, usually a Japanese make, costs about $65 to $70 for a day.
There is one firm that offers another China-made car, the 800cc Chery QQ. Its rate for this hatchback is $50 per day, before GST.
Mr Lim thinks the current recession has been a boon.
'Most people cannot afford a car in this recession. Customers who rent save on maintenance, road tax and insurance which add up to $5,000 to $8,000 per year if they were to buy a car,' he said.
IT consultant Varadharaju Ganesan, 37, rented a Benni over the weekends recently for his family outings. 'I want the flexibility of renting as I do not want to maintain a car,' he said.
Another satisfied customer is French expatriate Pascale Vrignaud, 46, who arrived here a month ago.
'We found it cheaper to rent a car than to pay for our kids' school bus service or to take a taxi every day,' the housewife said. She has taken up a three-month rental.
Ms Kelly Goh, general manager of Motorway Car Rentals, was surprised at Euroauto's rate.
'It is very cheap because so far, the cheapest is at least $35 for older and smaller cars. With insurance, it will cost at least $40.'
But Mr Lim insisted that the $29.90 fee comes with no strings attached. There is no minimum number of days and customers have unlimited mileage.
As with the usual rental car practice, customers have to top up the petrol when cars are returned.
Mr Lim said Euroauto will bring in 50 more Bennis within the next two months, including automatic transmission cars.
Eight other car rental companies told The Sunday Times they had no plans to carry China brands.
Said Ms Beatrice Yeo, the assistant general manager of Mova Automotive: 'There is no market for China cars.'
Mrs Vrignaud said she did her calculations before renting a Benni.
It will cost $1,200 each month to pay for a school bus for her two children to be ferried between French school Lycee Francais de Singapour in Ang Mo Kio and her home in Arcadia Condominium, off Adam Road.
With the car, she pays a monthly rental of $800, and spends $55 on a full tank of petrol per week.
Mrs Vrignaud will buy a car once she is more settled.
Will it be a Benni? 'No, I prefer a seven-seater car so that we can carry more things and drive more people around,' she said.
Land Transport Authority figures show that there were 12,391 rental cars registered last year. This was an increase of 1,337 from 11,054 in 2007.
[email protected]
Do you mind driving a China-made car? Have your say at www.straitstimes.com
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Firm is renting out 10 new China-made Chana Bennis, and will bring in 50 more soon </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Huang Huifen
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Mrs Pascal Vrignaud, 46, has taken up a three-month rental of a Benni for $800. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->Drive a car for just $29.90 a day? It's possible, if you don't mind a China-made car.
A brand-new 1,300cc Chana Benni can be rented for just that price - inclusive of GST and insurance.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>It's more economical
'We found it cheaper to rent a car than to pay for our kids' school bus service or to take a taxi every day.'
FRENCH EXPATRIATE PASCALE VRIGNAUD, 46, who said it will cost her $1,200 to pay for a school bus to ferry her two children between their school in Ang Mo Kio and her home in Adam Road.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>This is believed to be the lowest rate here for new cars.
Ten of these five-seater hatchbacks are available for rent, with three sporting eye-catching 'Try me' teaser door and bumper stickers.
Euroauto Leasing, the year-old car rental firm that rents out the cars, said the response has been very good.
Mr Chris Lim, Euroauto's director of marketing and sales, said that since the launch of the manual transmission Bennis for rental last month, there have been more than 100 inquiries.
Most weekends will see the cars fully booked. Four of the 10 cars are on a long-term hire basis, from six months to a year. A month's rental is $800, after a $100 discount.
The average rental rate for a 1,300cc brand-new car, usually a Japanese make, costs about $65 to $70 for a day.
There is one firm that offers another China-made car, the 800cc Chery QQ. Its rate for this hatchback is $50 per day, before GST.
Mr Lim thinks the current recession has been a boon.
'Most people cannot afford a car in this recession. Customers who rent save on maintenance, road tax and insurance which add up to $5,000 to $8,000 per year if they were to buy a car,' he said.
IT consultant Varadharaju Ganesan, 37, rented a Benni over the weekends recently for his family outings. 'I want the flexibility of renting as I do not want to maintain a car,' he said.
Another satisfied customer is French expatriate Pascale Vrignaud, 46, who arrived here a month ago.
'We found it cheaper to rent a car than to pay for our kids' school bus service or to take a taxi every day,' the housewife said. She has taken up a three-month rental.
Ms Kelly Goh, general manager of Motorway Car Rentals, was surprised at Euroauto's rate.
'It is very cheap because so far, the cheapest is at least $35 for older and smaller cars. With insurance, it will cost at least $40.'
But Mr Lim insisted that the $29.90 fee comes with no strings attached. There is no minimum number of days and customers have unlimited mileage.
As with the usual rental car practice, customers have to top up the petrol when cars are returned.
Mr Lim said Euroauto will bring in 50 more Bennis within the next two months, including automatic transmission cars.
Eight other car rental companies told The Sunday Times they had no plans to carry China brands.
Said Ms Beatrice Yeo, the assistant general manager of Mova Automotive: 'There is no market for China cars.'
Mrs Vrignaud said she did her calculations before renting a Benni.
It will cost $1,200 each month to pay for a school bus for her two children to be ferried between French school Lycee Francais de Singapour in Ang Mo Kio and her home in Arcadia Condominium, off Adam Road.
With the car, she pays a monthly rental of $800, and spends $55 on a full tank of petrol per week.
Mrs Vrignaud will buy a car once she is more settled.
Will it be a Benni? 'No, I prefer a seven-seater car so that we can carry more things and drive more people around,' she said.
Land Transport Authority figures show that there were 12,391 rental cars registered last year. This was an increase of 1,337 from 11,054 in 2007.
[email protected]
Do you mind driving a China-made car? Have your say at www.straitstimes.com
