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Showrooms to remain open despite new social distancing measures

Showrooms to remain open despite new social distancing measures
PHOTO: The Straits Times

With the number of locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases on the rise, new restrictions are being put in place to ensure the safety of all. However, sgCarMart's sweep across the various authorised dealers has revealed that showrooms will still remain open during this period.

For a start, with social gatherings now recommended to be limited to not more than two per day, even for visits to a public place, those thinking of heading to a showroom are strongly recommended to do so alone.

Test drives at Nissan, for example, are now being strictly done with only one customer and one sales consultant in the vehicle.

For brands under the Cycle & Carriage group, showroom test drives will be conducted on remote basis, meaning customers drive on their own while connected with the sales consultant on the line.

The occupancy limits for showrooms have also now been further reduced from the current limit of 10sqm per person of gross floor area, to 16sqm per person. This means that even the largest showrooms are unlikely to be able to hold more than 50 customers at a time.

The majority of local authorised dealers here are thus strongly recommending that customers pre-arrange their visits and test drives, so as to avoid long queues at their respective showrooms.

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Customers are also encouraged to utilise e-commerce platforms, with brands like Citroen and Mitsubishi offering online digital consultations.

Some brands, including Mazda, also have virtual showrooms that you can visit from the comfort of your home, and provide online contactless purchase as well. 

If you're looking to test drive a new car, most authorised dealers are already offering concierge test drives and will continue to do so, including those for Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and Suzuki.

With the test drive car delivered to a place of your choosing, opting for a concierge test drive will minimise your contact with others as compared to heading down to a showroom.

You'll also be glad to note that in response to sgCarMart's enquiries, made on May 14, 2021, the LTA has stated that there are currently no planned changes to the COE bidding schedule.

This article was first published in sgCarMart.

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