Singapore’s biggest motoring event is back for the fourth year running; here’s a quick peek at what’s in store…

Photos (from 2017): CarBuyer Team

Singapore

It might not have quite the same cachet as the big shows like Detroit and Frankfurt, but the Singapore Motorshow is still an important event, as it’ll give everyone an indication as to what most (not all) of the automotive brands will be bringing to our market over the coming year.

The 2018 edition will be held at Suntec Exhibition Centre (Level 3 & 4) from 11 to 14 January, and standard tickets will be priced at $6; kids below 120cm can go in for free. Eager or impatient fans meanwhile, can buy an Early Preview ticket, which allows admission from 1pm on Thursday 11 Jan, four hours before Standard ticket holders. All tickets are available at the door.

23 car brands are taking part this year, the greatest number since the show made its return in 2015. A lot of things will be happening on the show floor during the event, so to help you maximise your time, we’ve compiled a list of the major highlights. 

The 18 good reasons are – 18 new cars making their Singaporean debuts at the show (see point 6), and five other fairly good reasons below. 

“If you log onto CarBuyer.com.sg Hitoshi-san, you can see the huge, rounded quality of our…coverage!” 

1.CarBuyer.com.sg will be covering the show extensively  

Ok we lied. This is a good reason not to visit the show, because we’ll be reporting on everything important. The Motorshow is Singapore’s biggest automotive event, so naturally the entire CarBuyer team will be on the ground at launch day to bring you all the sights, sounds, insights and analysis directly from the show floor! Stay tuned to our website and Facebook feed (www.facebook.com/CarBuyer) on Thursday, January 11 and throughout the show weekend.

Porsche’s five-seat Panamera Sport Turismo will be making its Singapore debut at the show – and marking the brand’s return to the event after 14 years 

2. New Brands
Well, the brands themselves aren’t new, but their participation at the Singapore Motorshow is. Porsche and Mini will be making a return to the show for 2018, and given that they’re two of the most desirable automotive brands out there, one can expect their stands to be super popular with showgoers.

3. Get to the Summit
Audi doesn’t have any new launches planned for the show, but it is going to showcase its 25th Hour Exhibition for the first time in Southeast Asia. This is a representation of the brand’s vision to give its customers back an extra hour every day – allowing drivers of its cars to do things like  interacting with friends and family, getting work done or simply taking a rest, through the use of autonomous driving technology.

4. Meet the Stars
The Singapore Motorshow is a tie up between the Motor Traders Association of Singapore and Mediacorp; as a result, some celebrities will be making an appearance at the show. GOLD 905, YES 933, CLASS 95 and LOVE 972 will also be broadcasting their radio shows live from the show.

5. Swiftly Does It
Despite being held indoors, the show will still feature some high octane thrills, courtesy of stunt driver Russ Swift. This perennial crowd pleaser has an impressive repertoire of skills – such as driving on two wheels, precision parallel parking, and a graceful “ballet” routine – and lucky (or unlucky, depending on how heavy your lunch was) spectators will be asked to join him in the car. Tickets to his stunt show are free, but are given out on a first-come-first-served basis.

6. New Cars and Deals
The raison d’être for the Motorshow, several exciting cars will make their Singaporean debut at the show – you can also read about all these cars in our New Cars of 2018 feature.

BMW – X3 M40i

Citroen – C3 Aircross

Honda – Civic Type R

Hyundai – i30, Ioniq EV, Kona

Infiniti – Q50

Land Rover – Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque  

Lexus – NX, LC Structural Blue Edition

Mitsubishi – Eclipse Cross

Nissan – Leaf (showcase only)

Subaru – XV 2.0L, Outback

Toyota – C-HR (TBC), Prius+

Volkswagen – Arteon, Beetle Cabriolet (showcase)

In addition to the above and their complete range of models, the following brands will also have a presence at the show and almost certainly be running aggressive promos and deals for savvy buyers. Pro Tip: Buying after Chinese New Year might be a good deal too, as the big promos also mean a big backlog of orders and a COE price jump after the Motorshow.

Audi

BMW

DS Automobiles

Jaguar

Kia

Mazda

Mercedes-Benz

Mini

Mitsubishi

Peugeot

Porsche

Seat

Volvo