Kia

Kia is no stranger to delivering reliable, value-for-money motoring to the masses, but in recent years this Korean brand has been reaching new heights with near-premium offerings, but without the premium pricetags. As AUTA 2022’s Official Vehicle Sponsor, Kia supplied the full range of cars we used for testing, with a model befitting each of our tyre categories: the Stinger V6 (Ultra High Performance), Cerato (Premium Comfort), Sorento (SUV), Niro EV (Eco) and Stonic M-Hybrid (Mainstream). Additionally, Kia also provided a Seltos to act as support vehicle, which was a massive added convenience to the logistics of running the event.

NUS FSAE

In order to ensure a test that was as empirical, objective, and fair as possible, we had to engage the help of those who live and breathe the scientific process: engineers. Not just any engineers however, but the bright young sparks at the National University of Singapore’s Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), or FSAE team. Not only were they able to advise on testing methodology and the calculation of scores, but their extensive experience in building and testing their own race cars proved invaluable when it came to designing our own test stations and courses, and ensuring accurate measurement of results.

AutoApp

AutoApp is Singapore’s first app-based car concierge service, covering all things car maintenance. With AutoApp, customers can arrange to have their car serviced, repaired, inspected, detailed, groomed or sanitised, all without leaving the comfort of their home, office, or wherever they are in Singapore. Car owners can even buy new tyres and have them fitted, all with a few taps on the phone!

At AUTA, AutoApp’s team of expert service advisors were on hand to help check and prep the cars to make sure they were primed and ready for the rigorous test schedule.

TYREPLUS

With 23 sets of tyres to test (that’s 92 rubber rings in total), and a limited time frame to do so, quick pitstops were needed to ensure the Kia cars could be turned around and sent back out on the course. That’s what TYREPLUS, an international tyre and car care service provider that’s supported by Michelin, was able to do. Their mobile service vehicle comes fully equipped to handle all sorts of tyre-related matters on the go, from puncture repairs, to tyre replacements, and even wheel balancing, and was an integral part of AUTA’s operation.

Steelmate

Steelmate is a UK-based manufacturer of aftermarket automotive safety accessories for both cars and motorcycles, with products ranging from parking sensors, reversing cameras and monitors, to alarms and even blind spot detection systems. For AUTA 2022, Steelmate kindly sponsored their TP-S11I and TP-S11 tyre pressure monitoring systems, which allowed us to track in real-time the status of the tyres being tested, and ensure they were in optimal, even condition before diving into our test stations.

Blackvue

One of the leading digital video recorder (DVR) or dashcam brands in Singapore, Blackvue’s products are a common sight on thousands of cars on our roads here, even being fitted in brand new cars from several official car distributors (Kia included). Blackvue kindly provided their full HD 1080p, 60FPS DR750X Plus Series, which we used to capture footage of the testing from the drivers’ point-of-view. Check out the AUTA 2022 videos on our YouTube channel to catch a glimpse of the exciting footage.

Stjärnagloss

You may not have heard of them, but this Scandinavian-inspired, British-based car detailing brand is here to stay. Stjärnagloss offers a full range of detailing products that cover the core washing, polishing, protecting and maintenance stages for your car’s paintwork, as well as other products for your wheels, rubber and glass, to keep your car looking its slickest. Testing tyres at AUTA 2022 is down n’ dirty affair, but our in-house Stjärnagloss detailer was on hand to keep the cars looking pristine for our photos and videos.

Want to find out more about Stjärnagloss’ products? Hit their Facebook page here, or book a detailing or car grooming service via AutoApp!