Weekend Wheels
Expat Living’s own Katherine Allaway was heavily pregnant when she first experienced the benefits of navigating Singapore with her own four wheels. With the assistance of Wearnes Leasing, she took a three- day lease of a luxury Volvo XC60, a car she would
How did you use the Volvo over the three days?
At eight-and-a-half months pregnant I had some big baby items to buy (baby bath, play mat and so on), so on Saturday I drove to Vivocity from my home on the East Coast to pick them up; it was so handy to load them straight into the spacious boot. Next up was swimming lessons for my three-year-old – they’re held at a nearby condo, so I normally do the sweaty 15-minute walk over there; instead, we hopped in the car and got there in five easy minutes. In the afternoon, I went to a friend’s baby shower at The St. Regis Hotel and treated my lovely friends to a personal pickup in the car; there was plenty of space for the toddler booster chair plus three ladies, and we arrived at the hotel in style.
On Sunday – family day with husband and daughter – we took the opportunity to venture westwards to places we wouldn’t normally go. We popped into children’s activity centre Playeum at Gillman Barracks for a couple of hours of fun, then to Rochester Park for lunch at Da Paolo, followed by a jaunt to Jurong (which usually feels very far away) to visit IMM mall for some discount baby and clothing items. We had plenty of shopping bags by the end of the day, so the boot space was needed!
On Monday, we went to tour the East Campus of UWC South East Asia, a 20-minute drive from our house; then my husband was dropped off at his office in the city.
What were the biggest benefits of being mobile?
The heat is the worst thing about being heavily pregnant in Singapore. I’m a bit of a “greenie”, so I try to get public transport when I can, but the unrelenting temperature was making me feel really nauseous, so I’ve been taking taxis more frequently. It was really nice to get straight into a car that smelled new and with air-conditioning that kicked in quickly. I felt safer with my toddler in her booster chair than in the ride safe vest that we use for taxi trips.
In reality, having a car provides no more independence than getting taxis everywhere, but it definitely gives you the perception that it’s suddenly easier to get around. Taking a trip to the west of the island wouldn’t usually occur to me because I think the taxi fare gets too expensive.
Does having your own car make any difference to your lifestyle?
As I’ve mentioned, I think there is a definite mindset with having a car that makes you get out and about more. There are places in Singapore worth visiting where a car is definitely needed, such as the lovely farms tucked away in areas in the northwest where it would be difficult to get a taxi to return home. We never go up there unless a friend with a car is going and they can take us. A car makes these longer trips much easier.
Having said that, owning a car does introduce the issue of finding parking spaces – at peak times in malls I would sometimes drive around for 20 minutes trying to find a space; in those instances, it can feel like ordering a taxi is an easier option, and hopping out wherever you want.
What were the features of the XC60 that you particularly liked?
It’s a lovely car: smart leather interior, good 360-degree view out of the windows and mirrors which I don’t always find in bigger cars, and a welldesigned speedometer so your speed is abundantly clear (handy to avoid getting a speeding ticket!). I also like the steering wheel controls for music and cruise control – they’re both useful and safe; and I have to mention the automatic lights, as I’ve previously been pulled over by the police for forgetting to put on lights in the evening!
The car had great acceleration and responded well on expressways when I needed to change lanes and no one was wanting to give way. The large boot space was essential – it was easy to throw in a buggy plus loads of shopping bags when I needed to, something that isn’t always possible in a taxi when they already have a boot full of their own things, as happens sometimes.
Importantly, it was easy to get in and out of the car while heavily pregnant. We have previously owned a premium SUV and I had to hoist myself into that, as it was higher. The XC60 is a convenient height, so I didn’t feel like I was in a huge car.