The last of the breed: The final Category A COE petrol cars you can buy today

SINGAPORE – By 2030, all new-car registrations in Singapore must be for electrified vehicles. They can be fully electric vehicles (EVs), petrol-hybrids or hydrogen fuel cell cars – just not internal combustion engine (ICE) cars.

The shift from ICE cars has accelerated in recent years and there is a good chance there is no need to wait until the end of the decade to witness the extinction of such cars from showrooms.

In the first three months of 2026, purely fossil-fuelled cars accounted for just 878 registrations – barely 6.6 per cent of the 13,322 new cars on the road.

This is a plunge from the same period in 2024, when petrol and diesel engine cars made up 19.6 per cent (1,598 units) of 8,162 new registrations.

Since 2025, Singapore has stopped the registration of new diesel cars.

Driving this transition are policies to encourage EV adoption – from generous tax rebates that lower upfront costs to heftier penalties on cars with tailpipe emissions.

At the same time, carmakers are moving away from traditional engine models. This includes once-popular models like the Toyota Vios, which has returned as a petrol-hybrid; and its arch-rival, the Honda City, which is being phased out of the market.

The impact of the incentives is most keenly felt in the Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) bracket, where the influx of EV models has muscled out traditional petrol options.

But what if you are a staunch petrolhead who is resistant to electrification and wants something in the Category A COE bracket? The Straits Times has found just 13 such models from authorised distributors.

Of the lot, six cars come from the BMW Group, comprising five BMWs and one Mini. All of them use the brand’s 1.5-litre, three-cylinder, turbocharged engine producing 122hp:

From Volkswagen Group, there is the Skoda Kamiq ($245,900 before discounts) and Volkswagen T-Cross (from $247,400 before discounts). Both are compact crossovers that are essentially mechanical twins, sharing a 1-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine.

Despite their firm belief in petrol-hybrid technology, Japanese carmakers are still fielding a few ICE options. These include a lone Mazda 2 compact hatchback ($232,888 before discounts).

Buyers of sport utility vehicles can still choose between the Honda HR-V ($212,999 before discounts) and Suzuki Jimny (from $184,888 before discounts).

For those seeking family saloons, the Honda Civic ($232,999 before discounts) and Toyota Corolla Altis (from $202,888 before discounts) are still on the market.