PLUS highway has just handed 10 brand new Honda CR-V SUVs to JPJ (Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalanraya) for the North South (NSE) highway enforcement and we ask the question WHY they are not handling over 10 brand new 2-wheel drive pickup trucks instead of this Honda SUV.
The JPJ enforcement officers will be running a lot of mileage on tarmac and they will not be handling any off road excursions and so a 2-wheel drive pickup truck running a diesel engine will save a lot of fuel and running costs for the government in the long run.
Then there is the maintenance cost of running a luxury SUV like the CR-V against say a Nissan Navara or a Ford Ranger 2-wheel drive pickup truck.
Also, more importantly, the purchase cost of a 2-wheel drive Ford pickup truck starts from RM116,888 which is about RM22,000 lower than that of a Honda CR-V SUV which cost from RM138,308. The seating remains at 5 adults and the open cargo area with a pickup truck will allow for traffic cones, signs and more equipment to be carried without any issue. The CRV’s boot space is carpet lined and will be damaged over time with carrying the items mentioned.
If rain is an issue, the 2-wheel drive pickup truck can be easily fitted with a rear cover and this will not cost more than RM2,900 to install with a lock.
PLUS themselves use pickup trucks for their mobile recovery staff along their highways and we are sure they have seen the running costs and reliability and after sales accounted for when picking the right vehicle to run on the open highway.
So, we wonder why they picked the Honda CR-V? Was it more that just a partnership handover or was it something else. We wait for an answer from the public relations team.
