SALES of parallel imported cars are accelerating strongly, with registration of the grey imports now accounting for about one out of every four authorised versions.

Last year, total sales of parallel imports (PI) hit 16,137 units, compared with authorised distributors' sales of 98,729 units, thus resulting in a ratio then of about 1:6.

But in the first four months of this year, that ratio is now closer to 1:4 because the parallel imports collectively sold 7,755 units between January and April, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

This is against the authorised distributors' grand total of 30,596, according to the Motor Traders Association of Singapore (MTA).

So it looks like 2007 is set to be another record year for the PI trade,which already experienced a boom year in 2006, when total PI sales made up an unprecedented 13.8 per cent of all new cars registered here.

Of these, Toyota and Honda grey imports made up a combined 91 per cent. Total sales in 2005 were only 6,282 units. Even then, 2005's volume was are bound from 2004, when the parallel import scene was on the verge of collapse after the government cracked down on rampant under-declaration of open market value and other high jinks. That year, PI cars posted a volume of only about4,000 units, down from 2003's estimated 7,500 units.

In the first four months of this year, the two most popular PI makes continued to be Toyota (3,723 units) and Honda (3,110). Together, these two Japanese brands made up 88 per cent of all PI units registered, down from the91 per cent for the whole of 2006.

As usual, the most popular PI model was the Toyota Wish MPV at 1,437 units,or 38.6 per cent of all Toyota PI cars sold. The Wish is not offered by authorised distributor Borneo Motors Singapore.

More interestingly, though, overall sales of Honda PI cars were very close to those of authorised distributor Kah Motor, or a phenomenal 3,110 units against 3,382.

This is probably due to the fact that the PIs have managed to bring in a Honda model with huge mass market appeal. All signs, of course, point to the Stream MPV, of which 1,262 units were sold from January to April, or 40.6 percent of all Honda PI sales.

This percentage is even higher than that of the perennially popular Wish and is likely to be because the Stream is a newer model.

But the PIs may not have it so good for long. Kah Motor will be driving its authorised version of the Stream into its showrooms by the end of this month,with deliveries expected to begin as early as in July/August.

Kah Motor says its Stream is properly set up for export specifications and homologated to full Euro 2 exhaust emission regulations. The latter required Honda Japan to test for proven reliability of the gearbox and other drivetrain components - an improvement over the domestic Japanese model offered by the PIs.