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| The Airports Company of South Africa has taken the Hyundai H1 under its wing |
HANS ten Hage, a retired sound engineer in the Netherlands who is a
regular sun-soaker in SA, said the thrifty Dutch are bemused at how South
Africans buy bakkies that boost our egos rather than bottom-line our
businesses.
In Europe, vans are preferred to transport anything from heads of
cabbage to heads of state. South Africans who see sense and cents in working
with a van can choose from over 20 models.
On one end there is the top-selling Toyota Quantum, in the middle
the relatively new Nissan NV200 and the budget-buyers’ Chevrolet 1,2 Spark
Pronto is on the other end.
To choose between the vans, buyers need to tick five boxes: how
close is the dealer; what is more important, power for heavy loads or economy
for small volumes; and will the asset be sold in three years or will the
business keep using it?
Which dealer?
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| David Hadebe |
With some 200 dealers
across South Africa, Toyota offers buyers the most support. That is why David
Hadebe of the Ceiling Wizard says the Quantum is the only van he knows and
trusts, be it to get to a job or in a taxi to get home. In towns with Hyundai
dealers the H1 panelvan, however, does not have to stand back for the Quantum,
and the Korean is about R20 000 cheaper.
For small, heavy loads
For businesses that do not need lots of space the Nissan NV200 is
the van to choose. Overseas, however, the NV200 is rated from York in the UK to
New York in the USA. In the UK the NV200 was both awarded the best small van and
the best overall van in 2010. In New York the city last year started replacing
the yellow sedan metered taxis with 13 000 NV200 vans. The small Japanese van
beat America’s own Ford Transit for this contract, despite union’s protests that
the NV200 was not American enough. In bakkie, or pick-up format, the NP200 has
proven itself for almost five years, but the van is not yet a familiar sight.
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| Louis Finlay |
One woman who needs no convincing about the NV200’s abilities is
Louis Finlay. She drives the N3 between Durban and the Midlands to service
clients with the wax-based, waterless cleaning systems supplied by Green
Machine. When Wheels
met up with Finlay, her NV200’s trip computer showed an impressive 8,6 l/100 km,
but Finlay said what she likes most about the small van is how quietly it runs.
For heavy loads
For businessess moving
mass up to Gauteng the Quantum’s 241 Nm and the Nissan NV200’s 153 Nm would be a
tad low. Citroën’s big Dispatch Hdi 120, makes 330 Nm. The smallest 15-seater
Relay sells for just under R316 000, compared to the 14-seater Quantum at
R405 000.
Angie Moloi, founder of
the Johannesburg/Orange Free State Long Distance Taxi Assosiation (Jofeldta)
recently bought four 14-seater Citroën Relays. For heavy loads the Volkswagen T5
Transporter makes 400 Nm and can be ordered with VW’s 4Motion to traverse muddy
or sandy roads. This would, however, push the T5’s price up to just under half a
million.
To lug family loads (dead or alive), Wheels
have already cited stats from Dana Mini in Johannesburg that shows a second-hand
Mercedes-Benz Vito cannot be beaten in terms of value for money. Now KZN
undertaker Mlungusi Gumede adds that he uses his Vito 15 CDI to either move up
to four coffins or six mourners and once he has finished paying off his Vito
next month, he will buy a second one out of the box.
For small, light loads
Entrepreneurs who
deliver small loads will do well to look at Chevrolet’s Spark Pronto, which only
sips fuel and sells for less than R109 000.
Small business that carry light loads for short distances in town
and can — note — service their own engines, can consider any of the small
Chinese vans. At the coast, they soon show rust, but inland the 1,3 engines are
robust and generic parts are easily available. Their low price is the main
attraction, the DFSK van sells for less than R93 000.
Life-time costs
When it comes to
servicing any of the vans, the compiler of SA’s parts basket prices, Malcolm
Kinsey, warns that dealers are not bound to recommended retails prices. “Shop
around”, said Kinsey, who reported finding one part cost almost 10% more in
Durban and 20% more in Cape Town than it did in Johannesburg. When it comes to
selling, municipal fleet manager in eThekwini, Brian Stokes told Wheels
he prefers to buy Toyota and Hino, because these brands have proven to sell for
up to 19% more than other models, based on their low maintenance costs over the
lifetime of the vehicles.\
