DirectAsia is among the younger entrants in Singapore’s car insurance scene. While it is not a household name like NTUC or AXA, it has been gaining market share because of cheap premiums.
What makes DirectAsia car insurance stand out from the other insurers is that it has a full range of plans (even for specific Driver plans) catering to all ages, which you can choose to customise.
Also, unlike other insurers who only offer up to 12 months repair guarantee or until your car turns 10 years old, DirectAsia will let you worry less about car repairs as all plans come with a Lifetime Repair Warranty at its authorised workshops. To “upgrade” to your preferred workshop, it’ll just cost a little more.
We'll take a closer look at DirectAsia's car insurance plans in the next section:
DirectAsia car insurance plans at a glance
You may want to start by picking one of 4 core plans, ranked here from cheapest to most expensive:
Car insurance plan | Key features | Recommended for |
Third Party Only (TPO) | Covers third party damage only | Very old cars at the end of their COE lives |
Third Party, Fire & Theft (TPFT) | Covers third party damage, fire and theft only | Cars above 8 years old |
Comprehensive | Comprehensive coverage including damage to your own car | Any car under 6 years oldYoung & inexperienced drivers (regardless of car age) |
SOS Car Insurance | “Second chance” comprehensive coverage for drivers with history of accidents | Drivers who can’t get insured elsewhere |
Then, customise it with one of 3 Driver plans, depending on the driver’s profile, again ranked here from cheapest to priciest:
Driver plan | Key features | Recommended for |
Value | Main driver + up to 4 additional drivers2 (out of the 4) can be young or inexperienced driversAll drivers must be named (unnamed drivers are not covered) | Sole driver of the carNuclear families |
Value Plus | Main driver + unlimited experienced driversUnnamed drivers are covered as long as they are experiencedYoung or inexperienced drivers must be named (max. 2) | Drivers >30 years old who take turns to drive (e.g. among friends)Large families sharing the same car |
Flexible | All unnamed drivers with valid licence are covered | Car-sharersFamilies with kids who plan to get driver’s licence in the coming year |
So if you're a young parent who just got a new car to ferry your spouse and baby around, you'd want to go for a combo like Comprehensive car insurance with Value driver plan.
DirectAsia car insurance add-ons
As for all the nitty-gritty details (e.g. which workshop you can go to) usually found pre-packaged into plans by other insurers, DirectAsia lets you customise them by adding on the items you want.
Note that there are some that you can’t add to TPO or TPFT plans.
Here’s the list of DirectAsia’s optional benefits:
Car insurance add-on | Description |
My Workshop | Get the flexibility to choose a non-authorised workshop |
24 Months Replacement Car | Receive a payout equivalent to the market value of cars up to 2 years old |
NCD Protector | Protect your No Claim Discount (good for one claim only) |
Car Accessories | Cover the cost of replacing or repairing declared car accessories |
Loss of Use Compensation | Receive transport allowance of $50 a day (up to 10 days) when your car is undergoing repair due to an accident |
24hr Breakdown Assistance | Covers roadside assistance and towing costs |
Medical & Dental Expenses | Receive up to $3,000 per person (driver & passengers) |
Personal Accident for Driver | Choose your coverage of up to $500,000 |
Repatriation Costs | Get up to $200 per person and $3,500 for car towing if you get into an accident overseas |
How to get cheaper premiums with DirectAsia car insurance?
As DirectAsia car insurance is flexible and customisable, you can save on premiums by selecting the right type of car and driver plans — don’t over-insure yourself with too many bells and whistles.
Apart from the plan’s features, here are other ways you can get discounts on DirectAsia car insurance premiums.
Type of discount | Description | Amount |
NCD (No Claim Discount) | Given in increments of 10% for each year you don’t file a claim | 10% to 50% |
NCD60 | If you had 50% NCD for the past 5 years (i.e. 10 years without a claim) you get a 60% discount with DirectAsia | 60% |
NCD Protector Plus | Be able to get to the next NCD level even with 1 at-fault claim. | Varies |
Offence Free Discount | Present Certificate of Merit from Traffic Police to get discount on top of NCD | Varies |
Flexible excess | The higher your excess, the lower your premium | Varies |
Low Mileage | Opt for a low mileage plan for cheaper premium | Varies |
In-car Camera | Get a discount if you have a front car camera installed (for accident footage) | 4% |
Go Green | Opt for paperless documentation | Save $15 surcharge |
DirectAsia is also known for their NCD60 discount, which is unique as No Claim Discount is typically capped at 50% elsewhere. But this only applies if you maintain your no-claim record for 10 years.
Besides the whole list of ways to get discounts on your premiums, DirectAsia has one-off promotions such as the ongoing free 1 month car insurance and up to $100 worth of Shell fuel vouchers + free 24-Hour Breakdown Assistance. Stay up-to-date and find out more at DirectAsia’s promotions page.
Why (or why not) choose DirectAsia car insurance?
There are many reasons to choose DirectAsia and its biggest strength is probably its customisability – so you can get cheaper premiums by only opting-in for the features you want.
To be clear, DirectAsia isn’t the only insurer offering options. Even stalwarts like AXA are now making their plans very flexible and customisable, which is a great thing. However, DirectAsia doesn’t overdo it to the point of overwhelming consumers with too many choices.
DirectAsia also sweetens things up with their NCD60 so you can get 60% off your premium, which makes it even more affordable. Just note that it takes a 10-year track record to get the NCD60 status, so it’s pretty obvious that this is really for more seasoned drivers.
Love customisable car insurance plans? Get personalised car insurance quotes through MoneySmart's easy-to-use wizard.
Related Articles
