Getting a taste of luxury motoring need not mean having to drive a big, expensive limousine. CarBuyer.com.sg looks at the best luxury small sedans you can buy here in Singapore

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First published June 19 2020
Updated December 29 2022: Audi A3 Sedan 1.0, BMW 216i Gran Coupe, Mercedes-Benz A 180 Saloon

SINGAPORE 

Welcome back to another instalment of CarBuyer.com.sg Best Of, a regularly updated guide series where we pick the best cars in each segment to buy here in Singapore.

Next up, we’re looking at luxury small sedans, a relatively new segment that has only emerged recently, but one that is set to grow in popularity in the coming years.

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The entire segment kicked off with the debut of the first-gen Mercedes-Benz CLA in 2014 – it was an immediate hit around the world, and also in sedan-loving Singapore. With it, luxury makers realised there was untapped demand for luxury four-doors with price tags and dimensions smaller than executive sedans like the BMW 3 Series. 

Small luxury sedans attract the younger and more affluent set, as they serve as an entry point for premium brand motoring, but without having the associated high costs of a full-size luxury sedan.

This segment is essentially monopolised by the Big 3 Germans: Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, and just to prove how important these cars are in our market, all three have versions with powertrains that help them qualify for a Category A COE (engines with a capacity of below 1.6-litres and producing no more than 130hp), helping them become more accessible to a larger audience.

However, with COE premiums reaching near-record highs in 2022, it has meant that the starting price point of a luxury small sedan today is now at least S$200,000, inclusive of COE.

Nevertheless, for singles or young couples who don’t need such a big car, a luxury small sedan might come across as a better fit for their lifestyles and image. 

Other core features of luxury small sedans that appeal to the younger buyers are small turbocharged engines that offer the good balance of performance and fuel efficiency. Their compact dimensions also mean they’re easier to drive around town as compared to their larger-sized brand siblings. And being luxury cars, they also have a high degree of connected-ness and technology onboard.

(Models are listed in alphabetical order, not merit)

Continue to page 2: Audi A3 Sedan

• Page 2 – Audi A3 Sedan
• Page 3 – BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
• Page 4 – Mercedes-Benz A-Class Saloon
• Page 5 – Also consider: Mercedes-Benz CLA

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