DirectAsia Car Insurance Singapore Review 2019

March 18, 2019

DirectAsia is one of the newer car insurers in Singapore. While it is not a household name like NTUC or AXA, it is gaining market share because of cheap premiums, especially with its exclusive “NCD60” discount. Take a look at what DirectAsia car insurance has to offer in Singapore:

DirectAsia car insurance plans

Unlike some insurers who focus on comprehensive plans only, DirectAsia offers a full range of car insurance plans (and drivers) of all ages. All plans come with a Lifetime Repair Warranty at authorised workshops, but you can “upgrade” to any workshop of your choice by paying more.

All their plans are highly customisable. You 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 old Young & 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 driver profile:

Driver plan	Key features	Recommended for
Value (cheapest)	Main driver + up to 4 additional drivers 2 (out of the 4) can be young or inexperienced drivers All drivers must be named (unnamed drivers are not covered)	Sole driver of the car Nuclear families
Value Plus (more expensive)	Main driver + unlimited experienced drivers Unnamed drivers are covered as long as they are experienced Young 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 (most expensive)	All unnamed drivers with valid license are covered	Car-sharers Families whose kids plan to get driver’s license in the coming yea

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	Add-on for flexibility to choose a non-authorised workshop
24 Months Replacement Car	DirectAsia to pay out 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	Transport allowance $50 a day (up to 10 days) when your car is undergoing repair due to an accident
24h Breakdown Assistance	DirectAsia will cover roadside assistance and towing costs
Medical & Dental Expenses	Up to $3,000 per person (driver & passengers)
Personal Accident for Driver	Choose your coverage up to $500,000
Repatriation Costs	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?

The main way to save on premiums with DirectAsia car insurance is to select the right type of car and driver plan, and don’t over-insure yourself with too many bells and whistles.

Apart from the plan’s features, here are the other ways you can get discounts on your premium.

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%
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 known for their NCD60 discount which is exclusive to them (so far). While No Claim Discount is capped at 50% industry-wide, DirectAsia raises the ceiling to 60% – but only if you maintain your no-claim record for 10 years (not 6!).

Why (or why not) choose DirectAsia car insurance?

There are reasons to choose DirectAsia. I think its biggest strength is customisability – so you can get cheaper premiums by only opting-in for the features you want.

To be clear, DA 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 I think DA doesn’t overdo it to the point of overwhelming consumers with too much choice. The various options and features are explained clearly without jargon so you can understand what you’re buying too.

Premiums are affordable, but with their much-touted NCD60 you can get a cool 60% off your premium. However, note that it takes a 10-year track record to get NCD60 status. So despite the hype, this is really for super-seasoned drivers only.

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