Motormouth: Singapore Motorshow 2026 made me think about the Carpenters and their greatest hits

This story is not about carpentry for the motorshow stands, but the evergreen hit songs by the pop duo which apply to the catchy cars at this year’s event. 

(They Long To Be) Close To You

BYD has been Singapore’s EV flavour of the month for many months, including the January-December period of 2025 when it was probably the best-selling authorised-distributor new car brand (including upmarket division DENZA) for the second year in a row. The dominant Chinese automaker continued building your Sino-Singaporean dreams by adding the Seal 6 DM-i sedan and DENZA B5 SUV (pictured above) to the local lineup at Singapore Motorshow 2026.   

Rainy Days And Mondays

Weekend warriors who want to start the work week strong, regardless of weather, now have the sixth-generation Toyota RAV4 on their radar. The robust Japanese SUV is ready for recreational activities across different terrains, from the concrete jungle of Singapore to actual jungle somewhere in Malaysia or Thailand. The new RAV4's self-charging petrol-electric power will take you there and bring you back safely, even if it’s a wet and sad Monday morning. 

Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft

Aliens who come in peace and land on planet Earth would believe that SUVs are the preferred mode of transport for human motorists everywhere. Dongfeng has the same belief, hence its introduction of Vigo, which is a space-age Cat A SUV with a certain edge in interior space. Close encounters of the third kind would be both peaceful and useful with the Vigo’s “Heaven & Earth Gate”, a multi-function split tailgate which supercharges the car’s versatility like a roomy rocketship from light-years away. 

Superstar

This would be the Honda Super-ONE, of course. The Carpenters are totally on point with their Superstar lyrics too - “baby, baby, baby, baby, oh baby, I love you, I really do.” Indeed, this battery-powered baby hatchback is utterly loveable and it almost stole the show in Suntec City, attracting everyone who paid a visit - from children to women, teenage boys to overaged boyracers,  and even old-school Honda fanboys who still worship at the temple of VTEC.

Top Of The World

Karen Carpenter sang “Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes, and I won’t be surprised if it’s a dream.” To be exact, it’s a dream car, the BMW Skytop. The designer roadster is one of 50 units built for automotive aficionados worldwide who could afford it and also be allowed to buy it in the first place, including Eurokars boss Karsono Kwee. The extremely elegant Skytop styling is inspired by BMW’s classic 507 and retro-modern Z8, while the twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 under the bonnet produces 625 hp of Munich muscle. 

Touch Me When We’re Dancing

The dance in this case is a “tank turn” performed by the Yangwang U8, albeit in a deliberately gentle manner so as not to turn the Suntec exhibition hall floor into an urban battleground and accidentally activate SCDF. The beefy super SUV by BYD is a plug-in hybrid, quad-motor monster with over 1,100 Chinese horsepower ready to herald the Year of the Horse in 2026. The U8 even has a “float mode” to tackle floods and water crossings.

There’s A Kind Of Hush

Quiet luxury for towkays has been redefined by Lexus with its latest ES sedan, which is now available with a choice of two distinct drivetrains; either battery-electric or hybrid-electric. This is part of the automaker’s multi-pathway approach to carbon neutrality on the road, while providing a nicely-crafted cabin lounge with all the motoring comforts expected by bosses and their hush-hush business associates. 

Hurting Each Other

Vehicular sibling rivalry has a hot new pair of representatives in the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA, which arrives in Singapore as the battery-powered CLA250+ electric and the turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder hybrid CLA200. Both compact sedans are equipped with the company’s newest operating system, comprehensive MBUX infotainment and advanced driving aids. The two CLA variants also rival each other in the local price list, with the more technological CLA250+ electric costing just $8k more than the CLA200 due to applicable EV rebates.  

Goodbye To Love

Admirers of Mazda’s commitment to Skyactiv petrol powertrains and pure Japanese character are now driven to distraction by the 6e, which is not the automaker’s first serious electric vehicle (that would be the quirky MX-30), but likely to be more crucial in this day and age. By combining Japanese design and quality with Chinese (Changan) EV tech and production, the Mazda 6e aims to offer the best of both worlds in one sleek electric fastback.   

This Masquerade

Drive life has been unfair to petrolheads who used to happily play R35 GT-Rs and 370Zs in the Nissan arena, but thereafter had nothing to look forward to. They now do, thanks to Tan Chong’s belated preview of the pre-facelift Fairlady Z at Singapore Motorshow 2026. However, the real Singapore-spec version with a refreshed design will only go on sale in the 4th quarter of this year, so the interested SG gentlemen need to wait a little longer for their twin-turbocharged V6 Fairladys.

We’ve Only Just Begun

Hongqi, the upscale Chinese counterpoint to British automotive royalty, made its right-hand-drive debut in Singapore with the E-HS9, a flagship electric SUV “sharing horizons that are new to us”. The newest, perhaps, is how Hongqi luxury cars exported from the People’s Republic of China straddle a thin silk line between communist state prestige and individual capitalist privilege. Hongqi, Eurokars’ third Chinese car brand after MG and IM Motors, is positioned higher in the market and priced/equipped accordingly, with the E-HS9 expected to cost about half a million Singdollars. 

Yesterday Once More

Champion Motors surprised Singapore Motorshow visitors by displaying the least-new car of the event right beside the absolutely newest Suzuki. The new-age, all-electric e Vitara shared booth space with its classic ancestor from the good old days when COE was a novelty, kopi-O cost 60 cents and Suzukis were the humble heroes of SUV adventures. Generations of outgoing Vitaras and countless driveaways across the Causeway have led to this wonderful meetup of two kindred spirits-on-wheels with 35 years of heritage in between. 

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