Cat A premium steady but all else rise

THE premium for a small car certificate of entitlement, or COE, dipped yesterday but those for the other categories climbed. In the first bidding exercise for March, Cat A - for cars below 1,600cc and 130 hp - slipped $202 to $76,999.

But Cat B - for cars above 1,600cc or 130 hp - rose $2,106 to $80,710, while Cat E - the open category - increased $3,000 to $82,000. Cat C and Cat D were also higher, with the former - for goods vehicles - up $3,412 at $56,302, and the latter - for motorcycles - up $500 at $4,001.

"The vehicle loan restrictions are still affecting demand for both Cat A and B cars," said the sales manager of a mid-sized dealership. He reckoned that the only reason for the increase in the Cat B premium was that distributors were trying to clear stock using price cuts and other promotions.