Highlights of the 2018 Singapore motor show

The recently concluded 13th edition of the Singapore Motor Show held at the Suntec Convention Center was considered a success, despite the highly regulated nature of the auto industry where a “certificate of entitlement” that the island state government uses to control vehicle purchases are priced like Bitcoin.

Last year, the show’s attendance of 60,000 visitors is expected to grow again this year.

The number of new model launches shows how enthusiastic the local and regional markets are in the auto industry.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights of this year’s show.

BMW

BMW introduced the new and bigger X3 which now looks more like its big brother, the X5.

Key new features include a gesture control infotainment system, wireless cellphone charging, and the BMW smart key.

We hope to see the new X3 land on Philippine shores sometime this 2018.

Hyundai Kona 1.6 turbo

Hyundai

The Korean brand is the most prolific in terms of new model unveils this year, featuring the Ioniq Electric, Kona compact crossover, and the i30 hatch.

The Ioniq Electric promises to be the first affordable family-sized electric car for the island state, which is slowly embracing alternative fuel vehicles to make it an even cleaner and greener city state.

The Ionig features a novel mobile charger that is a service vehicle to rescue battery-powered Hyundai EVs.

The Kono compact crossover is powered by a turbocharged one-liter engine paired with a manual gearbox and a 1.6-liter variant.

Lastly, the new i30 features a 1.6-liter engine mated with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Kia

The Kia Stinger is one of the most attractive models in this year’s list of new model launches.

In a brand known for producing value-for-money hatchbacks and compact SUVs, the new Stinger GT is a fastback sports sedan that challenges a segment mostly dominated by European car makers.

Kia says the Stinger promises to be the highest-performance production vehicle in the company’s history, promising a new level of prestige and dynamism.

Lexus

At the Japanese luxury car brand Lexus pavilion, the new LS sedan was unveiled for the first time at the show.

The LS flagship model was prominently displayed at the central part of the exhibition along with other Lexus models.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi introduced the Eclipse Cross, which is a mid-size crossover the size between the Outlander and the ASX.

It is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) on a two-wheel-drive platform.

Nissan

At the Tan Chong Motor showroom housing both the Subaru and Nissan brands, the Nissan area unveiled the second-generation Leaf electric car which the audience say is way cooler than the first generation.

Although there was no formal indication from Nissan Motors if the Leaf will be on Singaporean roads any time soon, there is speculation it would be possible early next year.

Porsche

The German luxury sportscar brand unveiled the Panamera Sport Turismo, which is considered an estate version of the Panamera saloon that comes with four-seat and five-seat variants.

The Panamera Sport Turismo enjoys a bigger boot space for short out-of-town trips or golf bags not just for the driver but for three other golfing buddies as well.

Subaru

Motor Image Group, Singapore’s distributor for Subaru vehicles, unveiled the new Outback as well as new Subaru models featuring the EyeSight Driver Assist Technology (more on this on another separate article).

Volkswagen

At the VW pavilion, a red and very stylish Beetle Cabriolet (which was displayed alongside the new Arteon fastback) greeted the crowd and got everyone’s nod.

The Arteon, on the other hand, is VW’s all-new gran turismo that is designed based on the brand’s modular transverse matrix (MQB) vehicle platform.

This matrix is used for a wide range of vehicle classes, and comes with a transversely-mounted front engine.

Volvo

At the Volvo booth, the new XC40 stole the show as the Swedish marque made it foray into the compact SUV segment.

The XC40 promises the same build quality and design as its award-winning sibling, the XC60.