Mr Saram Ravidran was shocked to get several offers for his nine-year-old Nissan Sunny within a day of signing up with Wheel Deal, a new service by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for car sellers.

He was able to sell his car the following day, and was even more surprised when he received a cheque for $15,000 just two days after that. "The highest offer I got before that was $11,000," said the 57-year-old shift manager at a pharmaceutical company, adding that he has already recommended Wheel Deal to two of his friends.

Wheel Deal, by SPH's Marketing Division, helps sellers by communicating with car dealers on their behalf to get the best prices.

Car owners can sign up for the service at www.wheeldeal.com.sg or by calling 6319-8889 or sending an SMS to 8630-8919.

Users who complete successful transactions with any one of the Wheel Deal recommended dealers will each receive $50 worth of petrol vouchers.

Wheel Deal's launch coincides with SPH's auto show, The Cars@Expo, happening at Singapore Expo Hall 5 tomorrow and on Sunday.

Sales of used cars have risen in the last decade, from 24,000 cars in 2005 to more than 68,000 this year.

"Most car owners trade in their cars when they buy a new one. They are not aware that other car dealers may buy their used cars at a higher price," said Ms Florence Tan, senior advertisement sales director at SPH.

Mr Ken Soo, who runs a limousine service, was able to sell his seven-year-old Toyota Alphard for $58,000 via Wheel Deal after failing to get a suitable quote from other avenues.

"I was not expecting to sell it for that much," said the 48-year-old Mr Soo.

Mr Raymond Tang, managing director of Yong Lee Seng Motor, one of the dealers on the Wheel Deal network, said: "It is more convenient and easier for consumers as they can connect to dealers directly."

The launch of Wheel Deal represents a further move into automotive sales for SPH, which acquired popular online car portal sgCarMart in 2013.