Toyota has kept its pole position in car sales for a fifth year, with rival Nissan doggedly holding on to second spot in as many years.

Last year also saw Honda reclaiming its No. 3 spot from Hyundai, which slipped to fourth.

It was also a year that saw record car sales, as buyers snapped up about 117,000 new vehicles, including parallel imports. The top 10 brands made up more than 80 per cent of sales.

At the same time, just over 20,000 used cars changed hands - an all-time low.

Numbers-wise, Toyota's authorised agent Borneo Motors sold more than 24,000 new cars, including about 2,000 Lexus luxury models, according to Motor Traders Association (MTA) estimates.

Nissan chalked up close to 15,000 units.

'We are very happy that we've managed to do it again,' said Borneo Motors managing director Mark Choong, who added that 2006 was 'exceptionally tough' due to keen competition from parallel importers.

These importers sold an estimated 11,000 Toyotas, accounting for one in every three new Toyotas sold here. Including other makes, parallel imports made up more than 13 per cent of new cars sold last year - another record.

Among the top brands sold by authorised agents, Mitsubishi chalked the best growth by selling 8,658 cars - 2,349 more than in 2005.

BMW maintained its lead over arch rival Mercedes-Benz for the second year running. The two are the only European brands that made it to the top 10 list.

American marque Chevrolet was the 10th best-selling brand last year. It put about 2,600 new cars on the road, nearly 600 more than in 2005. Observers attribute this to the appointment of a second Chevy dealer in April.

Industry players expect this year's car market to be buoyant, and prices to rise. 'The number of certificates of entitlement (COEs) available might be slightly lower. And with the strong economy, more people will want to buy cars,' MTA president Chia Yong Sian predicted. 'This could translate to higher COE premiums.'

Mr Chia said other factors such as foreign exchange rates, change in vehicle taxes and competition among sellers can influence prices.

He also acknowledged that buyers have now got used to current prices - the lowest in over a decade - and may resist higher rates.

Other players reckon more Chinese cars will arrive, intensifying competition.