The eighth-generation Lexus ES is finally here, and it has gone electric. For as long as I can remember, the Lexus ES has been the car you recommend to someone who has already decided that excitement is overrated. That sounds harsher than intended, but the ES has built its reputation by transporting people in quiet, beautifully upholstered comfort while asking very little in return. Now, the eighth-generation ES has gone electric. And ...
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The cutesy Ora brand has grown up with its first SUV model for Singapore, and the Ora 5 offers practical usability with its own unique charm. There are some cars where I wished I had more time to test drive sometimes. Typically these are either mind-blowing high-performance models that I don’t get to experience often, or extremely fun to drive cars that just make me reluctant to hand the keys back. The ...
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It may be a minor technological update, but new hardware in the XPeng X9 Pro gives the car a significant bump in software usability. It seems now that every modern carmaker now talks about software, artificial intelligence and “ecosystems” with the enthusiasm of people who have just discovered Silicon Valley. Cars are essentially moving computers now, and you can’t go anywhere without some virtual assistant analysing your every move. None is more ...
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The Ferrari Amalfi may be the least powerful and least expensive Ferrari you can buy today, but it could also be one of the easiest to genuinely enjoy. It's weird to call any Ferrari an entry-level model. Entry-level suggests sensible shoes, base-spec infotainment and perhaps a monthly instalment plan you can discuss without first contacting your private banker. The Ferrari Amalfi, meanwhile, comes with 631bhp, a twin-turbocharged V8 and a price ...
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Hyundai adds a large electric seven-seater SUV to its lineup, and the Ioniq 9 delivers a remarkably refined and tech-laden experience for the family. It seems like if you want a large electric six- or seven-seater car here, there’s simply no escaping the number 9. Aside from the numerous Chinese MPVs that all feature the digit in their names, even the SUV options all have ‘9’ in their nomenclature. There’s the versatile ...
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The Denza B5 is one of those cars that makes you reconsider what constitutes luxury, while simultaneously being knee-deep in gravel and mud. Back then, a proper luxury off-roader had to come from somewhere very specific. If you wanted toughness, you looked to a Land Cruiser. If you wanted elegance, perhaps a Lexus. And if you wanted both, you generally prepared yourself for a rather painful conversation with your bank manager. ...
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Mercedes-Benz’s sleek CLA goes all-electric for the first time, and in CLA250 guise it could prove to be the best version of the new CLA yet. When the first Mercedes-Benz CLA arrived in Singapore over a decade ago, it immediately proved to be a huge hit. The appeal of the Three-Pointed Star on a compact sedan was hard to resist for many, but crucially, its attractive price point opened up the ...
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Mercedes-Benz’s popular GLB compact seven-seater goes fully electric, and it returns bearing more style, tech, space and efficiency. One of the best-selling Mercedes-Benz models in Singapore in recent years was the first-generation GLB, and its popularity here was no surprise really. After all, it has all the elements that many Singaporeans desire, being a practical family-oriented compact SUV with seating for seven, along with a premium badge while retailing at a ...
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Style over space? That's what the people yearn for, and why the Mercedes-Benz GLC200 Coupe has had great success here. SUVs used to be purely functional. You bought one because you needed the space, and the commanding driving position was a welcome bonus. While the boxy silhouette was simply part of the package, nobody really cared how stylish an SUV looked. Fast forward to today, and things have changed rather dramatically. SUVs ...
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The MG 4 returns with a completely revamped design inside and out, but does the now-renamed MG 4 Urban deliver the same joyful experience as the car it replaces? One of the most surprising cars that I’ve driven in recent years was the first-generation MG 4. It was a sharp-looking electric hatchback seemingly designed to function as a mundane everyday runabout, but it turned out to be one of the most ...
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The Honda ZR-V, while capable, fills an awkward gap in the modern-day Honda lineup. Honda has spent decades earning a reputation for building sensible cars. Cars that simply work. They may not always be the loudest, the fastest or the flashiest, but they have a habit of quietly getting under your skin through engineering integrity rather than marketing bravado. This makes the ZR-V an interesting proposition. On paper, it fills a gap between ...
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Proton’s second EV model, the e.Mas 5, has been officially launched in Singapore, with a starting retail price of $158,988 with COE. Proton’s second EV model, the e.Mas 5, is now officially on sale in Singapore, following a launch event held at the brand’s official distributor Vincar’s showroom at Leng Kee Road on 3 July. The e.Mas 5 joins the larger e.Mas 7 in the Proton lineup here, and the car has ...
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The BYD Seal 6 DM-i is the brand’s first plug-in hybrid sedan for Singapore, and it is an excellent all-rounder with excellent range and a surprisingly decent drive. If you’re looking to buy a BYD sedan in Singapore right now, you essentially have three choices. There’s the Seal, which is the OG BYD sedan offering, the Seal 6 EV, which is the slightly smaller and more affordable option, and then the ...
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The Mercedes-Benz GLE400e, while getting on a bit in age, still proves that adding a bigger battery pack isn't just a novel concept. Just a few years ago, buying a luxury SUV was wonderfully uncomplicated. If you wanted something that could climb a mountain before dropping the children off at school, you bought a Range Rover. If driving mattered above everything else, the BMW X5 was the obvious answer. And if you ...
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Aion’s UT compact electric hatch offers plenty of cheekiness, but under its cute facade lies a car that delivers excellent value. In all my years of driving, I’ve never come across a car that has promised to cure motion sickness. But the new Aion UT has a setting called ‘Motion Sickness Relief’, which apparently tries to smoothen the driving experience by reducing the regenerative braking and energy recovery to a minimum, ...
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