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Missing features, delayed shipments and high COE prices pushing car buyers to resale market

A car dealership in Ubi Road 1 on March 27.

A car dealership in Ubi Road 1 on March 27.

SINGAPORE — Some car models arriving in Singapore are missing parts such as touch screens and communication systems due to an ongoing crunch in the semiconductor industry.

The delays in receiving brand new, fully equipped cars, coupled with a confluence of other factors such high Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices, have left some car buyers here turning to second-hand cars instead, dealers have told TODAY.

The global semiconductor supply has been hit since 2020 due the Covid-19 pandemic as well as tensions between the United States and China. Supply has recently been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine is a major supplier of wire harnesses, which are a critical component of vehicles.

MISSING FEATURES IN NEW CARS

In Singapore, some new cars have been arriving since last year without some added frills.

Mr Lars Nielsen, the managing director of BMW Group Asia, said that certain features such as touchscreen functionality, digital key and wireless charging are currently unavailable in some of the brand’s vehicles in Singapore.

Mr Abel Eng, the director of dealership CarBiz, said that components of steering wheels and communication modules were also removed in some cars arriving here.

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