Tests conducted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has found no cars in Category A exceeding the power output declared by their manufacturer. 

The controversial tests by LTA were done to check if car companies are trying to get around a power cap that determines the category of COE that car models will fall into.

Since November, the LTA has carried out four dynamometer tests to ensure that Cat A car models fall within the new 130bhp power cap, which was introduced last year to remove luxury models from Cat A COE.

However, as soon as the new implementation was in place, Mercedes-Benz introduced models with 122bhp, which will still fall within the Cat A banding.

The authority told The Straits Times that four models, namely the Nissan Qashqai 1.2 Turbo, the Honda HR-V 1.5, the Honda Mobilio 1.5, and the Peugeot 308 1.2, have passed the dyno tests.

The local papers also reported that the Mercedes-Benz B180 and the CLA180 were among cars tested, with sources claiming both models did not meet the 130bhp cap if their turbochargers are in 'overboost' - a state that delivers momentary power surge when the car is driven hard.

An LTA spokesperson explained that the Mercedes-Benz B180 and the CLA180 were approved last January, before the dynamometer test became mandatory in November.

"They participated only in trial tests that had no implication on their type approved status," she added.

The dyno test is the reason why the approval process for new cars now takes two to four months, compared to two to four weeks previously.