By Nick Syn

HONDA AIMS HIGH FOR NEW CIVIC
Local distributor aims to put at least 5,000 units on the road this year

LOCAL HONDA DISTRIBUTOR, Kah Motor, officially debuted the new eighth-generation Civic on the sixth of January at the Shangri-La hotel, and the event was held in conjunction with the launch of the Honda Civic Drive for Charity Fund.

Kah Motor is partnering the Community Chest of Singapore in helping the disadvantaged, and aims to raise $500,000 in 2006 by
donating $100 for each new Civic sold.

This means that Kah Motor expects to shift at least 5,000 Civics this year. Hardly wishful thinking as with over 1,000 units snapped up before the actual launch, and $100,000 already in the bag so to speak, this doesn’t seem like a very difficult target to hit. As the new Civic has moved up a class and is now a Cat B car, it’s fallen to the City to hold down the Cat A sedan fort.

Earlier concerns that this upsizing might have had some effect on Civic sales seem to have been proven unfounded by the brisk initial response. And the fact that 14 percent of the pre-orders were for the top-of-the-line 2.0-litre model confirms this.

There are two engine variants available, a 1.8- and a 2.0-litre, and these are priced from $72,000
and $79,000 with COE respectively.

MERCEDES MOUNTS CHALLENGE FOR THE LUXURY SEGMENT CROWN
Sophisticated new S-Class hits town; prices start at $328,888

DAIMLERCHRYSLER HOSTED a glitzy launch for the all-new S-Class last Wednesday at the Ritz-Carlton hotel for prospective customers and invited media.

The car was made available for pre-launch bookings late last year, and according to Mr Chia Kim Teck, CEO of Jardine Cycle & Carriage’s Group Motor Operations, while the majority of pre-orders have been from existing S-Class owners, the company is confident that as more units are put on the roads, there will be more “conquest sales”.

Arch-rival BMW had a bumper year in 2005 (seemingly at Mercedes’ expense, see our 2005 sales report on page 2), thanks in no small part to a very youthful product range. But this year, with Mercedes fielding models such as an all-new version of the M-Class, the new B-and R-Class range of Sports Tourers, as well as possibly the next generation C-Class, it seems very much like 2006 could well be in the three-pointed star’s favour.

For the moment, though, all eyes are on the new flagship model. Cycle & Carriage has so far garnered 300 orders and the company’s initial estimates with regards to putting approximately 500 units on the road this year now seem quite conservative. The company hopes to increase sales volume even further with the added momentum from additional
engine options as these become available.

CarBuyer understands that deliveries of the $328,888 3.5-litre S 350 (see our review on page 10) have already begun. A 3.0-litre version is set to be introduced at the end of 2006, and should prove very popular.

In addition, the 388bhp 5.5-litre S 500 variant will arrive in a few months, and if that isn’t enough for well-heeled petrolheads there are two twin-turbo V12 engines available, a 517bhp unit for the S 600 and a storming 612bhp version for the S 65 AMG.

VOLKSWAGEN’S NEW PASSAT DEBUTS
Mid-sized exec contender gets strong initial response from buyers

THE ALL-NEW PASSAT was launched here last week, coincidentally also at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. The last Passat was especially significant because of the “quality shock” it
gave to the mid-sized exec segment.

When the old car was debuted, it came with an interior of such quality that it could’ve easily given many a more expensive car a big scare, a trait that saw it finding homes with many buyers looking for alternatives to the usual Japanese suspects. This new model looks to be no different, especially considering the fact it incorporates bits from the luxury Phaeton.

Volkswagen Singapore is planning on offering several versions of the Passat. The car that will be available initially comes equipped with VW’s 2.0-litre Fuel Stratified Ignition or FSI four-cylinder engine. A turbocharged 2.0-litre FSI version is also on the cards as is an estate variant. So far, VW has garnered about 60 orders for the 2.0-litre FSI model, which lists for $115,000 with COE.

SWEDISH NIGHT LIFE
Saab’s heavily revised 9-5 gets a jungle-themed launch

CAPPING OFF A WEEK of new car launches was the debut of the newly facelifted version of Saab’s 9-5, at the Olive Restaurant at Labrador Park. The event was packed with enthusiastic Saab aficionados who were treated to a dance and fire-breathing display.

This should be the last facelift for the 9-5 range, before an all-new model is introduced. Consequently, Saab hasn’t gone the easy route with regards to this update, and more than
just the car’s looks have been changed.

The suspension and steering have both been given a good going over, in response to customer requests for more precise handling, and the interior benefits from significant trim and equipment updates, the high-performance Aero version also gets Saab’s new 260bhp turbocharged V6 engine.

According to local distributor, Trans Eurokars, the company’s initial allocation of 9-5s has already been spoken for, and it’s now pre-selling future production.