For a structure designed purely to store vehicles, the humble multi-storey carpark is surprisingly social. I mean, think about it.
We've held countless conversations in them, conducted impromptu business meetings, settled relationship disputes and even discussed football, politics, and which nasi lemak stall has "dropped standard". Entire friendships have been formed because someone noticed another person's interesting car!
Yet nobody ever says, "Let's hang out at the multi-storey carp
Those in attendance for our latest Mycarforum hangout with Aion got a chance to test drive three models in total: The Aion V, Aion UT, and the Hyptec HT!
Let's face it, electric vehicles are becoming increasingly commonplace on not just our roads, but on the rest of the modern world's too. In Singapore, a sizeable chunk of EVs represent an attractive price point for first-time drivers or others looking to try something new.
The Aion V - the brand's most popular model - is no stranger t
If you've ever told an overseas friend that you enjoy driving, you've probably received a puzzled look in return.
"Driving? In Singapore?"
After all, we're talking about an island where you can travel from Tuas to Changi in about an hour if traffic is kind. It’s a place so small that many tourists accidentally visit three attractions before lunch.
Yet Singaporeans spend eye-watering sums on cars. We queue for COEs, obsess over horsepower figures we'll rarely use, and debate tyre b
Electric cars are evolving rapidly, but that does not always make them easier to understand. Between ever-growing screens, lengthy features lists and a steady stream of new terminology, even a straightforward family SUV can appear more complicated than it needs to be.
The all-new Leapmotor B10 eSUV takes a different route. Rather than chasing technology for technology's sake, it focuses on the fundamentals that matter to many buyers: ease of use, safety, practicality and ownership confidenc
What does one normally associate with growing older?
Greying hair, a slower metabolism and muscles that ache more often than before are some of the most cited signs. Increased sensitivity to caffeine or having "less energy" compared to a decade ago are frequently mentioned, too.
What I've also noticed is that growing older is a numbers game because of the figures (not just weight) one must manage.
Image by Nguyễn Hiệp on Unsplash
Tracking your health
I'm not a doct
Let's get one thing out of the way. The average Singapore SUV will never climb a mountain. It will never ford a river, traverse a desert, or rescue stranded hikers from the wilderness. Its greatest off-road challenge is usually mounting the kerb outside a coffeeshop.
And yet, Singaporeans absolutely love SUVs.
Look around any HDB carpark, shopping centre, or school pick-up point and you'll see them everywhere. Compact SUVs, mid-size SUVs, seven-seater SUVs, electric SUVs and coupe SUVs
Ask a Singaporean in the 1990s what their dream car was and you'd probably hear the usual suspects – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and maybe a sports car with an exhaust loud enough to wake half the neighbourhood.
Fast forward to today, and something interesting has happened. The Singaporean dream car hasn't disappeared. It has evolved. And contrary to what many people think, it's no longer defined solely by horsepower, prestige or how quickly it reaches 100km/h.
The modern dream car is something
Every Singapore driver knows this conversation. "I'm coming down." Five words. Five lies. That’s because "coming down" could mean leaving the office, finding a handbag, finishing a bubble tea, taking the lift, or starting a Netflix episode before eventually appearing 15 minutes later.
As a result, Singaporean drivers spend a surprising amount of their lives waiting. Outside schools, outside shopping malls, outside condominium drop-off points, outside MRT stations, outside practically everyw
If you've ever sat in someone else's car in Singapore, you'll know this simple truth: Being a passenger is not as easy as it looks.
Sure, you're not the one paying for petrol, road tax, insurance, parking, ERP, and a COE that costs more than some overseas apartments. But that doesn't mean you're free from responsibility.
In fact, every Singapore driver has a set of unwritten rules. They are never spoken aloud. They are never displayed on the dashboard. Yet somehow, everyone is expected
Singaporeans are world-class complainers. Not Olympic-level and not championship-level. Mind you, it’s world-class.
If there was a Complaining World Cup, we’d host it, complain about the crowd, complain about the transport arrangements, complain about the weather, then win the tournament anyway.
The remarkable thing is that we often complain when life is, objectively speaking, pretty good.
Really? Like what?!?
Take air-conditioning. Singapore is one of the hottest and m
There are many things Singaporeans can argue about. From COE and property prices to chicken rice and which MRT line is the most cursed, us Singaporeans will always want to have the last say.
But among drivers, there is one debate that burns hotter than a Ferrari stuck on the PIE at 05:30pm:
Which petrol station is the best?
Unlike politics or religion, people actually have evidence. Or at least what they believe is evidence.
Ask a Singaporean driver where he pumps petro
There are many moments of joy in life. Getting married. Watching your children take their first steps. Receiving a promotion you’ve worked years for.
And then there’s finding an empty parking lot right in front of the place you’re heading to. For Singaporean drivers, that last one might actually rank surprisingly high.
If you've ever driven into a crowded shopping mall on a weekend, you’ll know exactly what I'm talking about.
The Hunt Begins
It always starts with optimi
There was a time when buying a car in Singapore was simple.
You chose something reliable, checked whether the boot could swallow a stroller or a golf bag (depending on your age), negotiated the price, and hoped the salesperson threw in solar film, floor mats and maybe a dashcam.
Today, buying a car feels a bit more like hiring a very clever personal assistant - one that can park itself, brake before you panic, remind you to stay in lane, monitor your driving habits, update itself overn
Auto Selection's EV NEXT takes the ambiguity out of pre-owned EVs with its complimentary battery health testing and certification process.
EV adoption has been growing rapidly in recent times. Just last year, 45% of new cars registered in Singapore were fully electric. With more EVs than ever on the road, naturally, there has naturally been an uptick in the number of used EVs available for sale.
However, many used car buyers remain cautious about purchasing a used EV, largely due to co
Walk around any carpark in Singapore and you'll see hundreds of cars that look perfectly normal from the outside. But open the doors, and suddenly you're looking into a parallel universe.
As someone who has spent years reviewing cars, attending launches, and talking to owners from every corner of Singapore, I've come to realise that cars are more than just transportation. They're mobile storage units, emergency shelters, dining rooms, and occasionally, museums of questionable life choices.
“I don’t need a bigger car.”
Every Singaporean who has ever bought an SUV has probably said that at some point. Usually while standing next to a perfectly sensible hatchback. Or a saloon. Or a compact crossover that’s already larger than 90% of the cars our parents grew up with.
Something happens. Something always happens
Then something happens. And six months later, they’re taking delivery of an SUV the size of a small condominium. The transformation is almost always predic
Singaporeans are an interesting bunch.
We’ll spend $180 on a fancy steak dinner without blinking. We’ll queue 45 minutes for fried kway teow at Hong Lim Market & Food Centre. Some of us will even happily pay several thousands more above the listed price for a Rolex simply because “I like the watch”.
But ask us to pay an extra $3 for parking? Suddenly, we transform into forensic accountants.
We’ve all done it. You’re heading to town, and someone says, “Don’t park there lah. Go
There are two things Singaporeans are exceptionally good at: Complaining about the weather. And believing we can manage traffic better than the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
In fact, give any Singaporean driver five minutes in a traffic jam and they'll transform into a transport minister, urban planner, and traffic engineer all at once.
You’ll hear things like, “Why don’t they just make this a right-turn lane?” or “Who approved this traffic light timing?” Better still – “If they aske
Singapore drivers love complaining about petrol prices. In fairness, who can blame us? Between COE, ERP, parking, insurance and maintenance, every trip to the pump feels like another reminder that owning a car in Singapore isn't exactly cheap.
Which is why I've always found one particular behaviour rather amusing: many of us will happily drive past one petrol station just to visit another.
Think about that for a second. We're literally burning fuel on the way to buy fuel. If a non-driv
There was a time when the soul of a car announced itself before the car even arrived.
You hear it first - a deep-chested growl from around the corner, a metallic bark on start-up, a rising snarl as the revs climbed. For generations, the soundtrack of driving was mechanical, dramatic and slightly anti-social. It was petrol, pistons, exhaust fumes and the occasional neighbour fantasising about bashing your head against the bonnet as you start your car at 6:30am.
But today, the world of m
Every Singapore car buyer knows this internal argument.
Your heart wants something low, loud, and dramatic. Something with swollen wheel arches, a naughty exhaust note and the sort of badge that makes you want to park by the side of the road just so people can admire it properly.
Your wallet, however, has other ideas. I would say wife, but that would be pushing it.
Your wallet has been looking at COE prices, petrol bills, road tax, insurance, parking, ERP, servicing, and the cost
Every Singapore driver has had this conversation before.
You walk into a car showroom with a sensible plan. You tell yourself you’re here to look at practical, reliable and economical cars. The kind of cars that make financial advisors smile approvingly. The kind that makes the missus happy.
Your wallet says Toyota. Then, somehow, you find yourself standing in front of a Porsche.
That’s when the trouble starts.
The battle between logic and emotion
Buying a car in Singapo
When Louis Vuitton entered Formula One earlier this year, it felt like just another luxury-brand sponsorship.
Then Balenciaga collaborated with Lamborghini.
Porsche continued its relationship with Aimé Leon Dore.
Puma's Speedcat made an unlikely comeback.
And Lewis Hamilton turned up as a Lululemon ambassador.
Louis Vuitton's arrival in Formula One highlights how motorsport has become a meeting point for luxury, sport and global culture (Image: LVMH)
Individua
Singapore drivers are a fascinating species.
We’ll spend an entire Saturday morning giving our cars a spa treatment. Foam wash, clay bar, ceramic coating, the whole nine yards. We even do a tyre shine so glossy it could probably be used as a mirror. The bill comes up to $200. “Not bad lah,” we say. Then, five minutes later, the ERP gantry deducts $2 from our cash card and suddenly we’re filing a complaint to the United Nations. So, really, how did we get here?
We rather sp
As someone who love driving cars, manual transmissions are something that I truly enjoy. Okay, I don't like being stuck in traffic jams with a manual car lah, but the thing is that there's so much pleasure that can be derived from driving manual cars, especially if you know what you are doing, and especially if the car is something fun or interesting. Rev-matching properly, heel-toe downshifting before entering a corner, choosing the perfect gear for overtaking or conquering a series of bends -
