SINGAPORE — Car buyers are facing another expensive round of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) bidding after premiums closed mostly higher on Wednesday (Aug. 19), with Category A rebounding sharply and the Open Category reaching S$135,000.
The latest results delivered a fresh warning for motorists hoping that COE prices would finally cool.
Category A, covering smaller cars and qualifying electric vehicles, climbed S$4,611 to S$128,501, up from S$123,890 in the previous exercise. The increase marks the first rise in Category A premiums in three bidding exercises.
Category B also moved higher, rising S$1,091 to S$131,001 from S$129,910.
The biggest headline number, however, came from Category E, the Open Category. Its premium jumped S$4,000 to S$135,000, the highest among the five categories in Wednesday’s exercise. Category E COEs can be used for any vehicle type except motorcycles, although they are predominantly used for larger cars.
COE premiums on Aug. 19
| Category | Vehicle type | New premium | Previous premium | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Cars up to 1,600cc/130bhp; qualifying EVs | S$128,501 | S$123,890 | +S$4,611 |
| B | Larger/more powerful cars; qualifying EVs | S$131,001 | S$129,910 | +S$1,091 |
| C | Goods vehicles and buses | S$90,002 | S$91,545 | -S$1,543 |
| D | Motorcycles | S$11,301 | S$10,503 | +S$798 |
| E | Open Category | S$135,000 | S$131,000 | +S$4,000 |
The figures were reported by CNA and independently matched by Motorist’s breakdown of the Aug. 19 tender.
Why the latest jump matters
The Category A increase is particularly significant because it comes after two consecutive declines. The latest premium now sits only about S$2,500 below Category B, showing just how compressed the gap between the two car categories has become.
That narrow gap can influence buying decisions. When the premium difference between smaller and larger cars becomes relatively small, some buyers may reconsider whether moving into a Category B vehicle offers better value for the additional cost.
At the same time, the Open Category’s S$135,000 premium shows that demand for higher-end vehicle certificates remains strong.
The latest tender attracted 4,515 bids for 3,205 available COEs.
COE supply has edged higher — but prices remain elevated
The latest results come under the August-to-October 2026 COE quota, which provides a total of 19,085 COEs, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
That is only 0.2 per cent higher than the previous quarter’s 19,052 COEs. LTA said the quota incorporates replacement COEs from vehicle deregistrations, adjustments involving taxis and Temporary COEs, the Early Turnover Scheme for commercial vehicles, redistribution from guaranteed deregistrations and additional COE injections.
In other words, the supply increase is relatively modest — and Wednesday’s results suggest it has not been enough to push premiums decisively lower.
What happens next?
There will be a longer-than-usual wait before the next COE bidding exercise.
According to LTA’s 2026 bidding schedule, the second August exercise ended on Aug. 19, while the next exercise will begin on Sept. 7 at noon, with results due on Sept. 9 at 4pm.
That three-week gap could become an important period for the car market.
Dealers and buyers will be watching whether the latest surge in Category A and Category E can hold, or whether demand cools enough to bring premiums back down in September.
For motorists, however, the immediate message is clear: the hoped-for COE correction has not yet arrived across the car categories.
With Category A at S$128,501, Category B at S$131,001 and Open Category at S$135,000, securing the right to own a car in Singapore remains an exceptionally expensive proposition — even before the cost of the vehicle itself, taxes, financing, insurance and other ownership expenses are added.
The next bidding round may therefore be more than just another set of numbers.
It could determine whether August’s COE rebound is a temporary spike — or the beginning of another expensive stretch for Singapore’s car market.
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