Four unconventional cars for Singapore

If Singapore’s motoring scene looks a little dull to you, it may not be your imagination. According to figures from the Land Transport Authority, just three brands (Toyota, Honda and Nissan) account for nearly half of the private car population here. But just because there seems to be a herd mentality among car buyers in Singapore, it does not mean you have to drive something conventional. Our man Leow Ju-Len (todaycars [at] mediacorp.com.sg) looks at four new cars that offer an unexpected take on things and keep drivers from always having to take a walk on the mild side.

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake

One of the biggest-selling Mercedes-Benz models here, the mildly updated CLA was launched last Friday. It has new lamps, subtly restyled bumpers, and an interior with new trim materials and bits of chrome.

Three versions of the CLA Coupe are on sale, with the CLA 180 (S$170,888 with COE) likely to remain a popular choice among first-time upgraders from other brands.

But why not consider the CLA 180 Shooting Brake? It may not be as conventionally pretty as the four-door CLA Coupe, but looks much more distinctive.

The CLA 180 variant also costs the same as the Coupe but is far less cramped.

The wagon shape not only creates more boot space (folding the rear seats expands its capacity to 1,354 litres) but offers rear passengers much more headroom as well.

Ferrari GTC4Lusso T

The GTC4Lusso is a replacement for the FF, a car whose day-to-day practicality made it the Ferrari that customers typically put the highest mileage on.

This new T model has the same four-seat, hatchback body, but adds a twist. Instead of a mammoth 6.2-litre, 12-cylinder engine, it has a 3.9-litre, twin-turbo V8.

It also ditches the V12 variant’s four-wheel-drive system, and weighs 50kg less, which should make it more agile.

Despite the smaller engine, it is still wickedly fast — it romps to 100kmh in 3.5 seconds and roars on to a top speed of 320kmh.

The new model gives Ferrari a more affordable flagship, too.

While the V12 version will cost more than S$1.4m without COE by our estimates, the GTC4Lusso T is priced at S$1.06 million.

Perhaps the “T” stands for “tempting”?

Toyota Sienta

The Sienta may be a common sight on our roads thanks to parallel importers, but Borneo Motors launched its version last month to make it an official Toyota model with factory support. Its quirky styling makes it look like a multi-purpose vehicle for Star Wars Stormtroopers.

It may still be a large box on wheels, but it has unusual styling flourishes, like bumpers that extend up to the lights. The eye-catching cabin has a multi-level dashboard that offers plenty of stowage.

Some of the plastics in the car feel cheap, but it has obviously been built to a cost. At S$110,888 with COE, it is one of the cheapest seven-seat cars here. While its suspension feels crude and its engine is boisterous, it has a small appetite for fuel.

An Elegance package adds GPS navigation, two electric sliding doors (instead of one) and keyless entry and engine starting for S$6,000. Whichever version you choose, Borneo’s Sienta has one feature lacking in those from other importers: An air-conditioning blower for the rear of the cabin.

BMW 530e iPerformance

BMW’s new 5 Series is bigger, lighter and more efficient than the current model. It will be launched here by April next year, but a few months after the mainstream versions hit the road, a plug-in hybrid model will join them. It will be the first BMW 5 Series owners can plug into a charging station.

This enables the 530e iPerformance to travel around 45km on electric power, nearly enough to cover the average Singapore driver’s daily mileage. It still has a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, but you only need that if you have to travel further or want to burn rubber — the 530e hits 100kmh in 6.2 seconds when you use the engine and motor together.

Conventional hybrids like the Toyota Prius use their petrol-burning engine roughly two-thirds of the time, and battery power for the remainder. In the BMW, that relationship is reversed. If you usually drive to work and home, you may not need to fuel the BMW for months.

If that alone is not weird and wonderful, what is?