Two luxury models may keep Cat A COEs up

[SINGAPORE] The expected fall in the Category A COE premium after February may not be significant after all.

Two German luxury models joining the re-defined small-car category - the Mercedes-Benz CLA180 and Audi's A3 Sedan - could well spoil the mass-market party.

After the cost of a Cat A certificate of entitlement hit a record high of $92,100 in January this year, complaints about luxury models encroaching on the bread-and-butter segment and driving up prices there grew louder. The high-end models included the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, CLA-Class and A-Class, BMW 3 Series and 1 Series, the Audi A1 and A3 Sportback, and the Mini.