Mitsubishi is taking a pause sales wise in Singapore until 2025, thanks in part to the revised emissions scheme.
Mitsubishi car sales are hitting the brakes in Singapore this year. Fret not, Mitsubishi car owners – Cycle & Carriage (C&C), the brand’s representative, assures that existing owners will still receive full support.
The Driving Force Behind the Pause
It turns out that the revised Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) and a change in vehicle testing requirements are factors in making Mitsubishi cars not viable for sale due to price hikes. Both these new rules were enacted starting 1 January 2024.
But this isn’t the end of the road for Mitsubishi in Singapore. C&C is gearing up to re-introduce Mitsubishi in 2025, starting with the new Outlander sports utility vehicle (SUV).
Details are still under wraps, but it sounds like Mitsubishi’s planning a grand return with models that can handle the new emissions landscape with ease.
Mitsubishi’s journey hasn’t been the smoothest ride in recent years. Registrations in Singapore have dipped significantly, and globally the brand’s footprint has also shrunk, with withdrawals from Britain in 2020 and a halt in production in China in October 2023.
Even its production numbers reflect this trend, dropping from 1.5 million in 2018 to just over one million in 2022. Nowadays, the brand doesn’t make exciting vehicles too. Some are even rebadged cars, a far cry from the Lancer Evolutions and Galants of the past.
WLTP and VES
| VES Band | Rebate or Surcharge |
| A1 | $25,000 Rebate |
| A2 | $5,000 Rebate (reduced from $15,000 previously) |
| B | $0 |
| C1 | $15,000 Surcharge |
| C2 | $25,000 Surcharge |
Come January, Singapore will adopt the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) as the sole standard for new private cars and taxis. This stricter test aims to give more realistic emission results, potentially reshuffling cars into different VES bands.
The revised VES bands mean changes for many car models. For example, mass-market models like the Mazda 3, as well as premium models like the BMW 216i, are likely to be downgraded to the neutral band from Band A2. Meanwhile, some BMW models like the 318i and the Suzuki Jimny are expected to move to a less favourable band, resulting in higher surcharges.
Despite these shake-ups, most motor dealers believe that the VES changes won’t significantly impact car prices in 2024. They’re counting on a drop in Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums to cushion the blow.
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