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The roadster... | BMW G310R

IN BMW, G310R, BMW G310R, BMW Motorrad

...dressed like a bruiser.


Carmakers have taken to christening their estate models with different names to stand out from each other. Audi, for example, uses Avant, while BMW calls it a Touring. Skoda terms theirs as a Combi, while its parent company Volkswagen refers to its variants as um, Variant.
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The Critical Thinker's Practical Choice | Skoda Octavia Combi

IN Skoda, Octavia, Combi, Octavia Combi, Skoda Octavia, Octavia Combi, Skoda Octavia Combi, Skoda Centre Singapore

In a sea of SUVs, the seldom-seen station wagon smartly stands strong. And the Skoda Octavia Combi is one of the strongest there is.


Main concerns Topping the list were beliefs that EVs are difficult to charge and lack of range as compared to their petrol-powered brethren. Despite this, an overwhelming 87% of respondents indicated reduction in carbon emissions as a key benefit of EVs. 65% noted increasing number of government incentives, and 59% pointed to the financial savings when compared to using petrol. “It is encouraging to see the growing appetite for electrified vehicles, and that Singaporean drivers understand the benefits of owning an EV,” said Ms Preeti Gupta, Corporate Affairs Director & Sustainability Lead, BMW Group Asia. “With a 27% increase in EVs purchased in 1H 2021 compared to all of 2020, it is clear Singaporean drivers are ready to integrate electrified vehicles into their daily lives. However, based on our research, we still have work to do when it comes to educating consumers on charging and range.” What drives EV adoption rates 64% of respondents pointed at a longer warranty period of up to 10 years, while 58% noted good aftersales service would motivate them to purchase an EV for their next car. Following closely behind were performance at 55%, build quality at 43% and technological features at 42%. Government incentives and EV uptake 72% of respondents said government incentives and access to public charging facilities were most likely to influence their purchase of an EV, while 70% noted access to home-charging being important. The usage of EVs was more predominantly weighted toward running daily errands with 62% of respondents, while 40% would commute to and from work and 33% would enjoy weekend leisure trips in an EV. “Today’s electric vehicles have more than enough range to support daily driving needs,” said Ms Gupta. “The average Singaporean drivers commutes 55km/day, and many electric vehicles allow them to drive anywhere from four to eight days without requiring a recharge.”
Happenings

Almost half of Singaporean drivers want to buy electrified vehicles …

IN BMW Group Asia, Study, Survey, PHEV, EV, Electrified vehicles

… a study by BMW Group Asia shows.


Where Audi Centre Singapore, 281 Alexandra Road (up to 50kW DC charging) Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm Saturday to Sunday: Closed Audi Service Centre, 55 Ubi Road 1 (up to 120kW DC charging) Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm (last slot for booking is at 4pm) Saturday: 8am to 12.30pm (last slot for booking is at 10.30am) Sunday: Closed How Call 6366 2323 at least one day in advance to book a charging slot. Then, simply pull up to one of these two pre-arranged locations at the appointed time and charge away. High-speed charging means being able to fully charge an e-tron from empty in less than 2 hours. More details can be found here. Why This is in addition to the benefits already enjoyed by customers who purchase their Audi e-tron from Premium Automobiles - an integrated charging solution offered in collaboration with SP Group, which includes the installation of an AC charger where possible, and up to 18 months of free charging at all SP Group public charging networks. One of the most common reasons local drivers cite about their reluctance to switch to an Electric Vehicle (EV) is the lack of charging infrastructure. Also, fast charging beyond 50kW DC is still a rarity so early adopters have to put up with relatively long charging periods which makes them less convenient than Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) cars. Therefore, these efforts are part of Audi’s progressive sustainability roadmap to drive greater adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), especially in Singapore. As the range of e-tron models has grown to four, the introduction of free charging and car wash services can only make the prospect of Audi EV ownership more compelling than ever.
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Audi e-tron customers in Singapore now have two high-speed facilities to charge from...

IN Audi, Singapore, E-tron, High-speed, DC, Charging, Car, Wash, Free, Complimentary

… and get their cars washed for free while they’re at it.


Which is why TKA has opened a new track for traditional petrol-powered karts - both speed-restricted fun karts as well as full-on pro race 2-stroke karts - over at Jurong, across the road from the SAFTI Military Institute. It’s the same site that was previously occupied by KF1 Arena, and before that, Kartright Speedway. The track itself isn’t very long, nor is it very complicated - just 700m and 11 corners in total (compared to KF1 Kranji’s 960m and 17 turns). What it is though, is wide - with 10m being the minimum at any point.
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The Karting Arena | New kart track opens in Jurong

IN Singapore, Motorsports, Go-Kart, Go-Karting, Kart, Karting, Race Kart

The Karting Arena Jurong is said to be designed “by racers, for racers”


A good starting point is the driving position. This is of course highly subjective as the driver’s size and body type makes a big difference. For this writer’s 1.8-metre frame at least, the front seats are perfectly supportive. More crucially perhaps is how the car’s most crucial touchpoints – the steering wheel, gear lever, as well as the pedals – fall readily to hand and feet. Like putting on a tailored jacket, the driver immediately feels comfortable, familiar, and ready to go. This imparts a sense of confidence to explore the limits of the car. The positioning of the steering wheel and gear lever is underscored by also being nicely weighted for feedback that feels sweet and positive.
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Sweet spot for entry performance | Suzuki Swift Sport Hybrid

IN Suzuki, Swift, Swift Sport, Suzuki Swift, Suzuki Swift Sport, ZC33, ZC33S, Champion Motors

The entry point for performance driving begins with this supermini. Does its mild hybrid drive hinder or enhance the experience?


As a result, it’s not surprising that we almost never get the chance to present to you, dear readers, the kind of daydream-inspiring metal that our UK counterparts regularly do; today is different, however. Apart from the VW Golf GTI and Honda Civic Type R, no other cars can lay claim to being as indelible a part of the 21st Century hot hatch zeitgeist as the reincarnated Mini and the Renault Megane RS. The three generations of each have generally been fabulous even in standard form, but it’s their apex, most focused iterations that have most vividly captured the imagination - the John Cooper Works GPs in the British/German corner, and the R26.R and Trophy Rs in the French one.
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The Winners’ Circle | Mini JCW GP & Renault Mégane Trophy

IN MINI, JCW, JCW GP, MINI JCW, MINI JCW GP, Renault, Megane, RenaultSport, Renault Megane, Renault Megane RS, Megane RS

We round up two of the rarest hot hatch icons in Singapore - the MINI JCW GP and Renault Mégane Trophy - in search of the ultimate front-wheel drive thrills.


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 car we’re testing here is a face-lifted RS5. Mostly the same as the outgoing model, the front of the car sports the most distinctive tweaks. To give the updated car a fresher face, Audi has opted for perpendicular diamond-shaped black side grilles that house the fog lamps. Along with a minor redesign on the headlamp LEDs, these side intakes make the face a bit more aggressive.
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Safe House | Audi RS5 Sportback 2.9 TFSI

Fast and kinda furious, the face-lifted RS5 is still quick and sensible. But are fast Audis getting too efficient for their own good?


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.
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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.


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.
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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.


Isn't this a Porsche Taycan with four rings? Clever. Well, yes and no. You knew I'd say that right? It true though. They both do share the same platform, drive train, dual-motor setup (until recently, when Porsche introduced a single-motor RWD version). Dimensions wise, the two car are 99% identical in length and width as well.
Happenings

Audi's e-tron GT and RS e-tron GT

Officially on sale in Europe, Audi's new generation gran turismo is here.


The car we have here today is no RS model though. In fact, it’s the base model engine spec available for the A4 Avant. This 2.0-litre turbocharged estate pushes out a decent 148 hp and 270 Nm of torque and is the only model available for the A4 Avant.
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A Worthy Wagon | Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TFSI

As much space as a mid-sized SUV, with the driving dynamics of a sporty sedan. There’s lots to like about Audi’s new wagon.


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.
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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).
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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.


Happenings

The different flavours of BMW Luxury

IN BMW, GKL, GKL Range, BMW 7, 7 Series, BMW 8, 8 Series, BMW X7, X7, Luxury Cars

BMW Luxury motoring is defined in 3 different ways as shown by these flagship models.


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.
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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.
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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.


… appreciate luxury Step into the new CR-V, and you'll be greeted by a stylish and spacious interior that feature quality materials with a contemporary design. Contrasting satin-finished wood grain panels line the interior against the dark-coloured leather seats, providing the CR-V with an upscale ambience like no other Japanese SUV in its class.
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Simply better than the rest | Honda CR-V

Looking to get an SUV for this new year? You'd be spoilt for choice in this current sea of offerings that carmakers have to offer. But which one is best? 



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