Porsche, Mini and SEAT are the three new car brands that will be making this year’s Singapore Motorshow bigger and better than ever before. Taking place from 11 -14 Jan at Suntec City, the annual car exhibition is now in its fourth year and is labelled “Singapore’s largest and most prestigious annual motoring event”.
The motorshow is a chance for major car brands to show off their new models to the thousands of visitors anticipated to turn up at the event. In total, more than 20 brands will be hoping to grab the attention of Singapore’s car-buying public include the luxury marques of BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi.
German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz will be out in force, putting C-Class, GLC, GLA, B-Class and E-Class models on display. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet will complete the E-Class family, as an open four-seater with a classic fabric soft top.
In addition, Porsche will add some sparkle to the event this year, given its strong line-up of sporty cars and powerful SUVs. Among the models on display will be the Macan, 911, 718 Boxster and two new Panameras – the E hybrid and the Super Turismo.
This is technically Porsche’s return to the motor show after a 14 year break, and a maiden event for both SEAT and Mini. Mini is owned by BMW, and has a made a niche for itself with its quirky yet sporty models such as the John Cooper Works variants.
Not much is known about SEAT in Singapore. For those new to the brand, it is a Spanish car manufacturer with a strong history in rally and touring cars in Europe. Its most popular and current models are the Ibiza, Leon and Arona.
The Singapore Motorshow is also a chance for Asian brands to show off their models such as the Japanese powerhouses of Honda and Toyota. In fact, the motor show is supported by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) highlighting how important the market is for them.
In 2016, Honda overtook Toyota as Singapore’s bestselling car brand. A total of 19,349 new Honda passenger cars were registered here, compared with 18,491 Toyotas, according to LTA figures. Both Japanese brands are still performing strongly in a table that is normally dominated by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Korean brand Hyundai will be showcasing the KONA, its new urban lifestyle Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), along with the i30 hatchback and the IONIQ electric models, hoping to boost sales in the mid-market segment.
Last year’s motorshow saw a turnout of more than 47,000 people attending over the four-day event, and were treated to a display of more than 200 cars.
A key highlight of the Singapore Motorshow over the years – three-time Guinness World Record holder and British precision driver, Russ Swift – will also be returning to thrill visitors with his breathtaking stunt performances using Subaru cars. The Japanese marque will be launching EyeSight, a revolutionary technology that enhances safety standards, along with the facelifted Outback model.
The motorshow will also stage the regional launch of Subaru’s all-new XV, the first full model change since the original XV in 2012.
Standard tickets for the Singapore Motorshow 2018 are priced at $6 for all four days while early preview tickets (11 January, 1.00pm – 10.00pm) are priced at $10.
For tickets go to:
www.motorshow.com.sg/2018/ticketinfo
