Singapore’s first Certificate of Entitlement bidding round for October closed on 7 October with Category A car premiums at S$130,001 and Category B at S$130,100, both down from the September exercise, while the open Category E quota stayed flat at S$137,000. For households pricing a Toyota Corolla Cross against a larger petrol SUV, the gap between A and B is now just S$99—narrow enough that engine-size maths matter less than loan tenure and insurance bands.
Bids versus quota
LTA’s auction drew 4,248 bids against 3,270 certificates, continuing the pattern where demand outstrips supply even when premiums ease. Category A received 1,560 bids for 1,232 COEs; Category B saw 1,126 bids for 945. Commercial Category C slipped S$255 to S$91,889, a modest move for van fleets that still face diesel and ERP costs on top of the certificate line on the invoice.
Motorcycle Category D recorded the headline swing: 599 bids for 530 COEs produced a premium of S$11,012, down S$1,189 or about 9.75 percent from the previous round. Delivery riders and students who commute on two wheels get the clearest win; car buyers see only incremental relief after months of six-figure COEs.
PQP and renewal timing
Prevailing Quota Premium tables moved with the results. October PQP for Category A printed at S$128,715 and Category B at S$131,616, figures that matter for owners deciding whether to renew early or deregister before the ten-year mark. A household stretching a five-year bank loan on a S$130,001 COE still faces a six-figure certificate payment before dealer discounts, GST and the loan principal on the metal itself.
Finance desks at parallel importers said the narrow A/B spread pushes more buyers toward Category B cars with turbocharged small engines that straddle the power cap. Electric models near the 110kW Category A ceiling face the same quota pressure as petrol hatchbacks; the household-money question is whether charging access at the HDB car park offsets the certificate savings.
What yesterday’s preview story missed
Yesterday’s desk piece flagged the 4 p.m. close and quota counts; today’s results confirm premiums can fall without collapsing. Category E unchanged at S$137,000 signals that buyers who need a guaranteed certificate for luxury or oddball imports still pay a premium over mass-market categories. Dealers report more enquiries for COE-rebate schemes tied to trade-ins, especially from owners whose cars expire before the 21 October second round.
Second round in two weeks
Bidding for the second October exercise opens on 19 October with results on 21 October. Fleet buyers watching Category C will track whether logistics demand ahead of the year-end shopping peak lifts commercial premiums again. Motorcycle workshops in Woodlands and Jurong said they are booking installation slots for riders who deferred purchases while premiums hovered above S$12,000.
For the median wage earner, the story is still arithmetic: even a S$2,900 drop in Category B does not turn a car affordable; it only changes the monthly instalment slightly on a 70 percent loan. The household-money desk watches COE alongside MAS mortgage stress tests published the same week—because the families bidding in Category A are often the same ones whose bank loans reset with SORA.
How to read one round
Single-auction moves rarely predict the quarter; supply from deregistrations and the vehicle growth rate set the envelope. This round’s motorcycle relief may reverse if bid volumes spike before Christmas. Car buyers should compare the certificate line item with road tax, insurance and parking—COE is the visible number, but it is not the only recurring charge on the statement.