BMW 5-series is top model in Singapore

[Picanto]

THE BMW 5 Series has emerged Singapore's most popular model in the first three months this year (among authorised distributors).

 

In a reflection of how sky-high COE premiums have upended the car market, a whopping 489 units of all the 5 Series' variants were registered (see table). This means the luxury sedan accounts for more than half of the total 918 BMW passenger cars sold so far.

 

Coming in a distant second is the Toyota Corolla Altis, with 351 units of the evergreen model driven out of Borneo Motors Singapore's showroom in Q1. This perennially popular Japanese sedan accounts for about a third (34.5 per cent) of total official Toyota imports.

 

Actually, the Mercedes- Benz E-Class is believed to have chalked up a similar number in sales to the Corolla Altis during the first quarter. However, no official figures of this premium saloon are available.

 

The E-Class had ended 2010 as Singapore's top model among authorised distributors.

 

But equally interesting about the Top 10 list is the strong presence of three Volkswagen models.

 

Both the No 3 and No 4 models wear a Volkswagen badge.

 

The Scirocco three-door sports model with 193 units is the third most popular model among authorised distributors, while the Golf hatchback is not far behind with 173 units. Another VW model, the Touran compact MPV, is also in the Top 10, in No 6 place. Their presence is not surprising considering the Volkswagen brand's strong Q1 sales but what is worth noting is the German make's good spread of sales.

 

Each of the models makes about a fifth of total VW sales - the Scirocco at 20.9 per cent, the Golf at 18.8 per cent and the Touran at 17 per cent.

 

In contrast, there is no doubt that Singapore's No 4 model, the Hyundai Avante at 168 units, is the Korean marque's core model. It accounts for a whopping two-thirds of total sales at 66.9 per cent.

 

Meanwhile, Toyota's former Top 10 stalwarts have slipped down the rankings. The Toyota Wish compact MPV is now No 7 with 105 units, below a more expensive sedan model, the No 6 Toyota Camry with 142 cars. The once-steady Toyota Vios small sedan is now No 10 with 102 units when it used to be consistently in the Top 5.

 

And the Kia Cerato Forte, which ended 2010 as Singapore's No 3 model, is now much lower down in No 9 position with just 104 units registered.

 

This article was first published in The Business Times