Dickson Auto Group, a Singapore-based automotive dealer, recently announced the launch of an in-person live auction for used cars. The system differs from the traditional process which involves selling a vehicle to a used-car dealer or dealing it on a used-car sale platform.

Instead, this vehicle will be evaluated by Dickson first, then auctioned off to a pool of used-car dealers who bid behind closed doors, with the highest price then being passed on to the seller.

To ensure fairness to the seller, a pre-sale inspection by Dickson is done for each car, which it claims will offer “a fair quotation based on current market prices and overall vehicle’s condition”. If the owner agrees to the offer presented to them, that sum will be paid to them first.

The auction for each vehicle lasts only for 60 seconds, with the dealers bidding on computers in a centralised auction hall. The vehicle owner can observe the process from a private viewing room behind the hall.

If your vehicle crosses the auction block and the final price exceeds this sum, the owner will be paid the difference, minus fees. Alternatively, in a situation where the auction price is below the agreed price with Dickson, then the owner does not need to pay the difference.

“Vehicle owners often face difficulties in getting the best prices… They may be disappointed when a pre-agreed selling price is subsequently reduced when they are ready to sell their vehicle,” said Mr Kim Wah Boon, founder and chief executive of Dickson Group.

“Buyers, on the other hand, may worry that the condition of the vehicle is not up to their expectations when they collect it. These uncertainties and lack of transparency can affect the entire experience.”

The pictures shown here are from a media demo, with the first rendition of the auction happening on July 18 2023. Dickson plans to hold them every fortnight. As for bidders, Dickson claims there are “over 100 car dealers” listed in their inventory. Only dealers registered with the company are eligible to participate. Unfortunately, this system is only B2B for now, with no indication of whether Dickson will eventually open it up to B2C customers.

Whatever the outcome, innovations like this are an interesting way to spice up the used car market in Singapore.

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From 1 June 2023, Volkswagen Group Singapore will not be the sole distributor and authorised service centre for Cupra in Singapore. Existing Cupra and Seat owners can also service and repair their vehicles with Volkswagen Group Singapore at 247 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159934.

For those who have existing warranty and servicing packages, fret not. Owners who have outstanding complimentary servicing packages can complete their packages with Volkswagen Group Singapore on the same terms and conditions as stated at the time of vehicle sale.

However, this doesn’t apply to Seat owners, who are advised to claim their packages with Vertex Euro Motors if they have outstanding complimentary servicing packages.

Brand-new promotions galore

To welcome new prospective Cupra and Seat owners, Volkswagen Group Singapore has launched a series of special service packages and promotions.

From now until 31 January 2024, Cupra and Seat owners are entitled to enjoy a complimentary 24-point vehicle health check at the Volkswagen Group Singapore service Centre.

From now until 31 August 2023, the first 100 Cupra and Seat owners to register their vehicles with Volkswagen Group Singapore stand to enjoy three Pre-paid Service and Repair Packages (PSRP) at the price of two.

Every month until 31 August 2023, 10 lucky Cupra and Seat owners also stand to win service vouchers worth S$100 each. To stand the chance to win, Cupra and Seat owners can sign up here from 3 pm on Thursday, 1 June 2023.

“We are proud to welcome Cupra and Seat owners to Volkswagen Group Singapore, where we now service the Volkswagen Group’s volume brands all under one roof. We are confident that they will enjoy our after-sales services and products, and we look forward to building a long-lasting relationship with them. Our dedicated team will ensure a seamless transition while providing an enhanced ownership experience and peace of mind,” said Dr. Kurt Leitner, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Singapore.

For more information, Cupra and Seat owners can contact the Volkswagen Group Singapore after-sales team at 6305 7299 or customercare@cupraofficial.sg. Service appointment bookings can be made via this highlighted text here.

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Going to the showroom a hassle for your busy schedule? Do you wish there was an easier way to get a new set of wheels? Well, this new virtual showroom by Volkswagen and Škoda might just suit your needs. Volkswagen Group Singapore has recently launched a new online platform for Volkswagen and Škoda cars in Singapore.

With the new Volkswagen and Škoda eShowrooms, prospective car buyers can reserve a new Volkswagen or Škoda without even leaving their house.

Upon selection of their desired model and additional options, customers can then explore available financing and trade-in options, as well as calculate their monthly instalments based on various loan amounts and tenures.

Best of all. in order to finalise their reservation, customers are only required to input their contact details and make a S$1,000 deposit upon check-out. Singpass integration makes this process secure and easy too. The shortlisted order can also be saved and revisited at a later date if required.

To celebrate the launch of the eShowroom, online discounts of up to S$5,555 and three new variants have been introduced, exclusive for purchase on the online platforms. These are the Volkswagen Tiguan Black Edition, Arteon Black Edition and Škoda Octavia RS Limited Edition.

Each of these limited edition variants is limited to five units.

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With the addition of Cupra, VGS will now represent all of the Group’s ‘volume’ brands under one roof. Come 1st June 2023, both existing SEAT and Cupra customers can come to VGS for servicing, maintenance and repairs.

To welcome them into the VGS family, the group will offer complimentary vehicle inspections, special deals on service packages and service voucher giveaways. More details will be officially announced on June 1st.

Vertex Euro Motors, who is the current distributor of SEAT and Cupra, will continue to service SEAT vehicles until the end of 2023. However, any further potential service partnerships is still to be confirmed.

As of now, there are no plans by Vertex Euro Motors to continue selling SEAT models once the existing stock is cleared by the end of 2023.

This differs from Cupra, whose aftersales operations will be handled only by VGS from June 1 onwards. As for their new showroom home, retail operations for the Cupra brand by VGS will commence from 2024.

“Cupra brand’s positioning, character and electrified models fit well with our plans. Electrification is not just our focus but the Volkswagen Group’s.” said Dr. Kurt Leitner, Group Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Singapore.

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The LEGO Group has partnered with Lazada to host LEGO LazMall Super Brand Day on May 18. This 24-hour shopping event invites customers to ‘Dream It, Build It’ by making their dream cars real with these enticing LEGO vehicle sets.

In line with the upcoming Fast X movie, customers can look forward to exclusive LEGO Fast & Furious starter kits. The top three spenders who purchase one or more of the LEGO Fast & Furious sets on LEGO LazMall will also stand to win movie tickets to the latest iteration in the Fast & Furious Saga.

Dream It, Build It!

The LEGO Group is also running its ‘Dream It, Build It!’ social contest from now until 18 May to encourage families to build their dream LEGO vehicles together, using LEGO bricks from any LEGO sets.

In order to participate, participants are required to:

• Take a photo of their dream LEGO Vehicle build
• Share the idea behind their design in a post with a caption
• Include the hashtags (#LEGOSG) and (#LEGOSGDreamItBuildIt)
• Tag @lazada_sg to submit their entries on either Facebook or Instagram

The top three winners with the most creative builds stand to walk away with prizes worth at least SGD 300, while 10 consolation winners stand to receive up to SGD 150 worth of prizes, courtesy of The LEGO Group and Universal Group.

In conjunction with LEGO’s LazMall Super Brand Day, there are also LEGO Vehicles-themed in-store activations happening on selected weekend afternoons from April 8 to May 28 in selected LEGO Certified Stores and Toys“R”Us stores.

Participants can try out the new Dream Car Generator game on iPads and engage in hands-on interactive play experience with a LEGO Vehicles set.

Upon completing both vehicle-themed checkpoints and sharing a video of the play experience on social media with the hashtags #LEGOSG and #LEGOVehicles2023, participants can redeem a free LEGO polybag on a first-come, first-served basis.

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Jaguar Land Rover has recently announced that it will now rebrand its name, being recognised henceforth as JLR. This rebranding aims to shift more focus onto the four subbrands it currently has in its arsenal.

The four subbrands in question are Range Rover, Discovery, Defender and Jaguar.

This change of strategy is all in a bid to reposition JLR as a house of brands. As quoted by Gerry McGovern, JLR’s chief creative officer “Our ultimate ambition is to build truly emotionally engaging experiences for our clients that, over time, will build long-term high equity for our brands and long-term sustainability for JLR.”

Financial motivations

This sudden rebranding appears to be motivated by JLR’s struggle in recent years to separate its large model lineup, and the rebrand is an attempt to create more distinct personalities between its vehicles.

With the updated branding, each Land Rover category is essentially being turned into a fully-fledged brand, further joined by Jaguar.

What’s going to happen to Land Rover?

Land Rover has been a British staple for the better part of half a century, and the absence of its name in the rebranding has already caused a storm on social media in the United Kingdom.

JLR has since confirmed that the name would still continue to live on as a badge on its SUVs. So then, what’s all the fuss about with the rebrand in the first place..? Doesn’t that make things a tad more confusing?

In any case, JLR has already put forth plans to repurpose its U.K. showrooms to incorporate these new changes. The major dealers will continue to stock all of JLR’s current models, while smaller outlets may only feature a few subbrands on sale.

This has already caused some controversy over the pond, where some dealerships in the United States of America have been asked to give up their Jaguar franchises due to the company transitioning to a heavily electrified future.

For our sunny shores, no changes have been enacted yet, and it will likely be business as usual, since Wearnes Automotive holds dealership status for both brands.

Just remember, it is now JLR, not Jaguar Land Rover.

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Alfa Romeo has had a rocky few months at the end of 2022, having to go on a temporary hiatus due to a distributor change. Come 1st April 2023, the Italian marque finally has a new home here in Singapore.

The brand will now be represented by Capella Auto, a division of the Komoco Group. This was confirmed after news broke out that EuroAutomobile would lose distributor status for Alfa Romeo in Singapore. Since Komoco Holdings already distributes Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, it seems fitting that Alfa Romeo joins the ranks of these Stellantis-owned brands.

A new showroom and service centre, which will be located at 1 Chang Charn Road, are poised to start service soon, as Capella Auto officially begins operations.

If you’re an existing Alfa Romeo owner, fret not! You may register your vehicle’s ownership with Capella Auto to receive the latest updates from the firm. Prospective customers can also head down to the new Alfa Romeo showroom from 1st April 2023 onwards to check out what they have on offer.

Opening hours for the showroom are between 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (Monday to Saturday) and 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (Sundays).

Operating hours for the service centre are from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (Mondays to Fridays), and from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm (Saturdays). The service centre will be closed on Sundays and public holidays.

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Volkswagen Singapore, in conjunction with the United Nations’ International Day of Happiness, has creatively festooned a large smiley face art installation across one of its glass facades at its showroom located at 247 Alexandra Road. The piece is actually a mosaic of over 300 post-its, each meticulously penned with reasons why people love owning and driving a Volkswagen.

And if a new car is something that will put a smile on your face, Volkswagen now wants that dream a reality. Purchase a car, and grab savings as high as $47,000 for your new ride, alongside complimentary service credits worth $2,000 for every new Volkswagen sold in March.

For those folks that already drive a Volkswagen, fret not! Volkswagen Singapore has also introduced an exclusive service plan for Volkswagen vehicles seven years and older, so you can still be part of the festivities. For just $99, owners can enjoy savings of up to 40% on genuine Volkswagen parts, giving you even more reason to smile.

So, how about the individuals who don’t own a Volkswagen? Don’t worry, Volkswagen has got you covered as well with a new playlist for you to enjoy. Titled Driving on Sunshine, this playlist comprises of a medley of great songs from the Bee Gees, U2 and OneRepublic, among others. This new playlist is already available on Spotify, so check it out!

Pop down to the showroom on 11, 12, 18 and 19 March 2023 too, and capture fun memories with friends and family at the pop-up photo studio, complimentary with every test drive. 

Volkswagen Group Singapore also has Skoda under its wing, and in celebration of its five fruitful years, Skoda Singapore has introduced a month-long range of promotions for new and existing customers.

Car buyers securing their Skoda in March stand to enjoy up to $64,000 savings on a new Scala. Other attractive and highly practical cars that are also on offer are the recently introduced Scala 1.0 TSI and Octavia 1.0 e-TEC mild hybrid.

From now until the end of March, Skoda fans and owners also enjoy a 35% discount on genuine Skoda lifestyle merchandise and a $300 discount on Skoda Centre Singapore’s 360 Shield ceramic paint coating package. The 360 Shield package promises up to two years of durability against weathering and paint deterioration.

Volkswagen Centre Singapore is located at 247 Alexandra Road, Singapore (159934). Operational hours are between 8:30am to 7:00pm (Monday to Saturday), and between 10:00am to 7:00pm (Sundays and Public Holidays).

Keep on smiling!

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A lot of you might be wondering then, what does this entail for future customers, and how will BMW cars be priced?

To clarify any doubts potential customers might still harbour, BMW Asia has released a reference guide to make owning and buying a BMW simpler. This guide serves to answer questions pertaining to both new and existing customers.

BMW Asia states that both official dealers, Performance Motors Limited and Eurokars Group, will operate as usual and retail the same range of vehicles, from BMW i to BMW M, including warranty and servicing.

Servicing Packages

All servicing and warranty packages purchased are sold by either BMW AG or BMW Asia. As a customer, this means that they can be utilised with any authorised dealer. In other words, there are no repercussions, and you are free to choose the dealer that is right for you! 

As of 1 October 2022, all new BMW customers will also be provided with a five-year BMW Service Inclusive Plus and BMW Extended Warranty at no additional cost. With these new developments, existing BMW customers can now have their vehicles serviced and maintained at any of the following authorised service centres:

Performance Motors Limited

• Sime Darby Performance Centre (303 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159941)
• Sime Darby Business Centre (315 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159944)
• East Coast Centre (280 Kampong Arang Road, Singapore 438180)

Eurokars Group

• Eurokars Auto (29 Leng Kee Road, Singapore 159099)
• Eurokars Aftersales Centre with BMW-certified body and paint shop (27A Tanjong Penjuru)

Customers are advised to contact each centre beforehand to book an appointment that best suits their schedule. For greater convenience, a new ‘Collect and Delivery’ service is also now being offered, which sees both dealers collecting and delivering vehicles to customers’ preferred locations.

As for used BMW vehicles, both dealers will accept trade-ins and retail pre-owned vehicles. Prospective customers can head down to the following locations to check out their inventories:

• Performance Premium Selection Limited East Coast (280 Kampong Arang Road, Singapore 438180) 
• Performance Premium Selection Limited Alexandra (315 Alexandra Road #01-01, Singapore 159944)
• Eurokars Pre-Owned (237 Alexandra Road, The Alexcier, #01-01, Singapore 159929)

For Eurokars Pre-Owned, the BMW Premium Selection will only be available beginning in the second half of 2023.

Missed the opening of the BMW Eurokars showroom? Catch up on the news with this article here!