Car dealers report surge in sales after COE prices drop

By Olivia Siong, Channel NewsAsia
07 Feb 2016

In particular, some have seen bookings for larger Category B cars triple as premiums in the category dipped to a six-year low.

SINGAPORE: Car dealers say they have seen a surge in sales since Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices fell in the last bidding exercise on Wednesday (Feb 3). In particular, some have seen bookings for larger Category B cars triple as premiums in the category dipped to a six-year low.

Toyota agent Borneo Motors had planned to close for Chinese New Year on Saturday, but decided against it amid strong demand from customers. Many were also seen shopping for a good deal when Channel NewsAsia visited the Hyundai and Nissan showrooms.

"I wanted to buy another five years of COE for my car which expires in March," said one Kim Yeo. "But when I heard about the drop, I decided to come down and see if I could get a new car."

Another, Mr Peter Scully said: "The car that we own is reaching its 10-year mark. When you have to buy a car and it's cheaper, it's a bigger motivation. It maybe forces us to want to make a decision faster because it's cheaper."

All three dealerships said they have seen an increase in sales. Hyundai agent Komoco Motors saw overall bookings go up by 50 per cent, while Nissan dealer Tan Chong Motors said overall sales have tripled. Both also recorded three times the number of bookings for larger Category B cars.

In the last exercise, premiums in Category B dipped by 22.9 per cent, falling by more than S$11,000 to S$38,600 - its lowest since July 2010.

That is even lower than Category A premiums for smaller cars, which fell by 9 per cent to S$46,700.

The last COE bidding exercise on Wednesday was the first for the February to April quarter which has more COEs on offer compared to the previous three months. But while COE premiums may be down across the board, industry experts have said that such prices are unsustainable and may see a rebound in subsequent exercises.

That is also why car prices have not fallen in tandem with COEs. Category B car prices have been adjusted downwards by between S$5,000 and $10,000 among dealers we checked with.

"I'm looking at an MPV because we have a growing family," said Ms Eileen Fu. "Now we can get a Cat B car, which has a bigger capacity and engine plus more power. It's a lot better than what we could afford half a year ago, which was a smaller car."

Another buyer, Sharong Ng said: "Cat B has dropped so much, so unless Cat A drops then I will consider Cat A. But for now it seems Cat B is a better deal."

However, there are some car-buyers who are not rushing in just yet.

"For me it's not necessary a Cat B, a small cc is good enough," said a Woo Keng Fie. "If you buy a two-litre car, the consumption is definitely higher and you have to pay more road tax."

Ms Elaine Samboo said she would "wait and see": "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the COE prices will dip like before, when I only had to pay S$200 for COE. (If that happens,) I might just get my car."

The next COE bidding exercise will be in the third week of February.