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What’s new underneath? Having debuted in Europe last year, the fourth-generation Audi A3 is finally in Singapore in both the Sedan and Sportback bodystyles. The latest A3 has been improved both inside and out, and is built on the new MQB Evo platform that that’s shared with the Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf. It’ll be safe to expect the same sporty yet comfortable ride that the previous generation A3 was known for, but even that’s been made even better. The latest model gets a sophisticated new chassis, replacing the old model’s rear torsion beam suspension with a multi-link setup.
Happenings

We accidentally previewed the all-new Audi A3

IN Audi, A3, Audi A3, All-new A3, Premium Automobiles

The all-new Audi A3 has arrived in Singapore… and we managed to get a sneak preview! Here’s all that’s new and exciting about Audi’s latest offering in the compact segment.


The Vos difference At Vos, customisation doesn’t just entail slapping on a lip kit and applying a different-coloured vinyl wrap. Customers who bring their cars to them can expect a bespoke experience, all the way from concept to execution.
The Pit

Veni, Vidi, Vos

IN Advertorial, Vos, Vos Automotive Styling

Just like how an architect might build you the house of your dreams, Vos Automotive Styling provides a bespoke solution to realise your automotive aesthetic visions.


So, when an email popped into my inbox with the keywords 'cross-border', memories of the good old days - i.e. 2019 - came flooding back. A cross-country network. Turns out, the email wasn’t from the Government announcing border re-openings. Instead, it was the good folks at Porsche and Shell, announcing their EV charging network that spans Singapore and Malaysia.
Happenings

We went on an imaginary holiday in a Porsche Taycan

IN Porsche, Taycan, Taycan 4S, Porsche Taycan, Porsche Taycan 4S, Shell, EV Charging, EV Charging Network, Road trip

Porsche Asia Pacific and fuel giant Shell have announced a cross-country EV charging network – that means full-electric driving, all the way up to Penang!


Paired to a 6-speed manual (!) transmission in the Kona, the 1.0-litre was a mightily capable engine. A brilliant mix of engagement and efficiency, it was no Kona N, but still managed to brighten your commute a bit.
New

Downsized but Decent | Hyundai i30 Hatchback 1.0 Turbo

IN Hyundai, I30, I30 Hatchback, Hyundai i30, Hyundai i30 Hatchback, Komoco Motors

Hyundai’s shrunk the engine of the popular i30, but the equipment list has remained properly sizeable.


Is there more power? Many changes have been made to make the GR 86 same but better. For starters, the new 2.4-litre lump makes 35 bhp more than the outgoing 2.0-litre, now producing 232 bhp and 250 Nm. As in the new BRZ, peak torque in the GR 86 is available from a much more usable 3,700rpm.
Happenings

Toyobaru Toyota Twin Revealed

IN Toyota, GR86, Toyota GR86, Toyota GR, Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyobaru, Borneo Motors

Toyota's refreshed rear-drive coupe has launched, with the same 2.4-litre flat-4 as its related Subaru twin – but a few minor differences.


The what now? The Scala and Kamiq, the two latest compact-sized offerings from Skoda. Meaning “ladder” in Latin, the Scala is supposed to represent the Skoda brand scaling new heights, according to the official spiel. It’s a hatchback marginally larger than a Volkswagen Golf, but smaller than the company’s staple offering, the Octavia liftback sedan.
New

Czechs and Balances | Skoda Scala and Kamiq

IN Skoda, Scala, Kamiq, Skoda Scala, Skoda Kamiq

Two new compact contestants to Singapore’s car market provide buyers new entry-level options in the Skoda range.


Reflecting on my situation, I’ve narrowed down my choice to a compact car that is friendlier to my pockets. The good thing about the current crop of compact cars is (a) they’re zippy, (b) spacious inside, and (c) economical; with smaller engine capacity, that means significantly lower fuel bills plus cheaper road tax and insurance premiums. Voila!
New

Good Things Are In Small Packages | Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line

IN Volkswagen, T-Cross, R-Line, VW, Volkswagen T-Cross R-Line, Compact SUV, SUV, Sports Utility Vehicle, City Car

If, like me, you’re looking for a compact car to replace your current ‘oversized’ one, you should probably read this


Joining the existing Mercedes-AMG GT R safety car and Mercedes-AMG C 63S Estate medical car, the pair from Gaydon will make their debut at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix this Sunday. Aston Martin Vantage safety car It’s not easy staying in front of Lewis Hamilton on an F1 circuit, thus the Vantage safety car has been fettled with by the engineering team to improve track performance and lap times. Power is now up 25 bhp to 528 bhp, but torque remains unchanged at 685 Nm – although “sustained for longer” in this application. The transmission has also been improved, giving “a better sense of directness, precision, and control through upshifts and downshifts”.
Happenings

Safety in Numbers

IN F1, Formula One, Safety Car, Medical Car, Aston Martin, Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DBX, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-AMG GTR, Mercedes-AMG C63S

For the first time in the history of Formula One, there’ll be two official Safety and Medical Cars – from both Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG.


The 3 Series has long been a stalwart of the fiercely competitive compact executive sedan segment; with Singapore’s vehicle tax structure generating consistently healthy sales for its entry level models. Buyers are happy with a premium badge on the nose, for just a slight premium over alternative Asian makes.
New

Less is More | BMW 318i Sport

IN BMW, BMW 3, BMW 3 Series, BMW 318i, Performance Motors Limited

With a willing engine, lively handling, and a good bit of kit, entry level doesn’t feel quite as such in the new BMW 318i.


So kudos to the SEAT/Cupra dealer here in Singapore, they managed to bring it in rather quickly. But what exactly are the differences and how ‘new’ is the new one?
New

Elegant Aggression | Cupra Ateca

IN CUPRA, CUPRA Ateca, Vertex Euro Motors

In less than a year, Cupra has updated and brought onto our shores the face-lifted model already!


Gone is the dynamic ‘swoosh’ that ran down the side, with the new car sporting a cleaned side profile. There’s now a single straight line that connects the bonnet to the taillights, in contrast to the sloping roofline. The outgoing model’s coupe-inspired styling is now made even more coupe-like, with an increased rear windscreen rake. This results in a much more fastback-like side profile that mimics the Civic Hatchback. Interestingly, Honda claims that the steeper windscreen hasn’t adversely affected rear-seat space, perhaps thanks to the additional 20mm in wheelbase.
Happenings

New Honda HR-V (Vezel) Revealed

IN Honda, HR-V, Vezel, Honda HR-V, Honda Vezel, Kah Motor

The latest Honda HR-V has been completely redesigned, and gains Honda’s new e:HEV hybrid powertrain.


At the rear, a larger three-dimensional rear combination light replaces the old tapered ones. The front and rear blinkers are now also equipped with a sequential turn signal lamp as standard.
Happenings

New Honda Odyssey here in Singapore

The face-lifted 2021 Odyssey adopts Honda’s new direction in having a cleaner and less fussy front end and some interior updates.


Inevitably, owners of the traditional 3-door MINIs will move on to other stages of life. This might necessitate un-fun stuff, like two extra doors and a full-sized cargo area. Sacrilegious it might be to the MINI purists, but there’s no denying that the Countryman filled a segment at its debut 10 years ago. Since then, the Countryman has seen a second-generation model launched, which moved it to the BMW UKL platform that’s shared with the BMW X1. Now though, it’s been facelifted with some choice design changes and nifty new tech inside.
New

Smartened Up | MINI Countryman Cooper S

IN MINI, Countryman, Cooper S, MINI Countryman, Countryman Cooper S, MINI Countryman Cooper S, Eurokars Habitat

Subtle exterior design changes and modernised interior equipment make the MINI Countryman better than ever.


This isn’t an all-new car of course, nor is it even a facelift (that comes next year, when the Countryman gets new headlights and Union Jack-themed taillights just like the rest of the Mini range, as well as new digital displays). But though it looks no different, the 2020 Countryman JCW’s updates run far deeper than facelifts conventionally do. With 306hp and 450Nm now on tap, the new Countryman JCW has made gains of 75hp and 100Nm over the 2019 model - a full one-third more power and torque than before. That’s all courtesy of an updated version of the B48 2.0-litre turbo engine, which is now in the same spec as you’d find in the BMW M135i, M235i, and X2 M35i. As a result, the 0-100km/h time drops from 6.5 to 5.1 seconds, and it’s powerful enough flat-out to warrant a 250km/h electronic speed limiter. It’s rather a different beast to drive now, and finally feels special enough to justify its existence (and its price tag).
New

Rally the Troops | Mini Countryman John Cooper Works

IN MINI, Countryman, JCW, John Cooper Works, MINI Countryman, MINI John Cooper Works

The biggest and most expensive Mini you can buy gets a lot more power for 2020, finally giving it performance that’s worthy of the JCW name.


But wafting comes at a cost (usually in excess of seven figures). To make it more accessible to the rich-but-not-as-rich businessmen, premium brands like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar have made it their life-long aim to produce flagship models that can emulate that smooth road-yacht feel.
New

Magic Carpet Ride | Audi A8 Mild Hybrid 3.0 TFSI

For the longest time, the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series have topped the luxury barge segment's market share. Can Audi's new A8 steal some sales with this new party trick?


Available at launch (and shown in these pictures) is the Morgan Plus Six, a 3.0-litre six-cylinder two-seater roadster with a starting price of S$415,888 without Certificate of Entitlement; NB Auto has confirmed that the Plus Six has cleared the Land Transport Authority’s homologation process.
Happenings

British sports car maker Morgan arrives in Singapore

IN Morgan, Singapore, Sports cars, New cars, Launch

355hp, S$415k (w/o COE) Morgan Plus Six heralds the 112-year old company’s first-ever official presence here; S$325k Plus Four to follow in Q2 2021.


Happenings

MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition Cooper S

Only 5 MINI Paddy Hopkirk Edition Cooper S models will be made available in Singapore.


What are your top 3 achievements in 2020? Our greatest achievement in 2020 was having BMW recognised in Singapore as the second top-selling car brand, and the best-selling among premium brands. In addition to moving up three positions, from 5th to 2nd, our market share increased to 9.8%, the highest market share of any BMW NSC worldwide.But that’s not all. We maintained segment leadership in the Philippines for the second year in a row, and also secured premium segment leadership in Indonesia after 15 years (as of YTD December 2020).Finally, sales in the region increased for both BMW and MINI brands across their model range. Our luxury models – 7 Series, 8 Series and X7 – increased by 15% and sales of BMW M and M Performance models increased by 14% in Singapore. Specifically, in the Philippines and Vietnam, luxury model sales increased by 63% and 48% respectively compared to 2019.  For MINI, we witnessed extremely strong growth compared to 2019 with our xEV models (+63%), Performance JCW models (+116%), and the new MINI Clubman (+74%).None of this would have been possible without the relentless ongoing support of our strong partners in all markets.
Happenings

“10 questions to…”

Challenges. Successes. Mr. Christopher Wehner, the Managing Director of BMW Group Asia shares how he has taken the BMW Group Asia region to new heights.


This then, has the all-singing, all-dancing full-blooded AMG powerplant for the family of Mercedes cars that bear the letter ‘A’; A-Class, CLA and GLA. The 45 series of AMG cars is the entry point to what some might consider as a ‘proper’ AMG as the engines come from a “one-man, one-engine” production line where the finished power unit bears a plaque with the name and signature of the technician who put the mechanical masterpiece together. My compliments then, to Alexander Kasarez who built a fine motor for our test car. In this instance however, it is technically a “one-woman, one-engine” production. Here’s to Girl Power!
New

Sense of Occassion | Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S 4MATIC+ Coupé

IN Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, CLA, CLA 45S, Mercedes-AMG CLA 45S

The most powerful 2.0-litre car you can buy adds a touch of practicality to make it a more useable daily proposition.


That’s where the S60 T8 R-Design comes in. It’s the most powerful Volvo you can buy today, with the sort of on-paper figures that might give warm sports saloons like the Audi S4, BMW M340i, and Mercedes-AMG C43 a right old scare: 402hp, 640Nm of torque and 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds. Except, the S60 doesn’t follow your traditional sports saloon recipe. It’s a plug-in hybrid you see, which means a twin-charged 315hp 2.0-litre engine driving the front wheels, and an 87hp electric motor powering the rears. And that, I’m afraid, is the S60’s undoing as a performance car.
New

Plugged In | Volvo S60 T8 R-Design

IN Volvo, S60, Volvo S60, Hybrid, Plug-in hybrid, PHEV

402hp makes the new S60 T8 plug-in hybrid the most powerful Volvo ever sold in Singapore. But is that enough to make it compelling for keen drivers?



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