FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Fun day at Bangkok Motor Show

Fun day at Bangkok Motor Show

Concept cars from the likes of toyota and Nissan will vie for attention, but Honda, with its diesel CR-V, is among rivals with eye-catching offerings

It’s Sunday and many Bangkok motorists will be beating the traffic to spend time at the 38th Bangkok International Motor Show at Challenger Hall, Impact, Muang Thong Thani.

While a large number of would-be buyers will be visiting the annual event to compare prices and promotions before making a purchase, many just go to see the latest cars. The event, which goes on until April 9, also has a number of related activities like car club meetings and custom car gatherings.

Those who can’t afford placing orders for new vehicles can also spend some money at the accessories section with all sorts of automotive add-ons being sold by hundreds of vendors.

Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi are displaying concept vehicles to draw curious crowds to their booths while other companies rely on new and updated models to attract visitors.

Toyota is showing the FCV Plus, a 2+2 powered by a fuel cell stack that changes hydrogen into water.

Nissan, meanwhile, is promoting its SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) vehicle featuring the world’s first Bio-Ethanol Electric Power system, and Mitsubishi is showing the MiEV Evolution III concept electric race car that took part in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

In terms of sales, the Honda booth attracts huge crowds every year, and this year the spotlight is on the new CR-V, which is available with a diesel variant for the first time. In fact, the diesel CR-V is the top model in Honda’s line-up, being priced a notch above the petrol version.

Arch-rival Toyota doesn’t have a new product. However, minor-change versions and attractive sales promotions are expected to help Toyota maintain its leadership in the market.

Smaller brands like Mazda is also banking on the Motor Show to help stimulate sales of its new MX-5 RF convertible hardtop and the minor-change version of the CX-3 crossover, which has won the Thailand Car of the Year award from the Thai Automotive Journalists Association last month.

Mercedes-Benz, which definitely has the most artistic booth this year, launched the E-Class Coupe, while arch-rival BMW introduced the 5 Series and the plug-in hybrid version of the 7 Series.

Audi, the third German luxury car brand, is taking part in the show for the first time with a new importer. A large collection of Audi models is being offered, with crossover models like the Q5 and Q7 gaining much interest.

Maserati also has a new importer and is winning customers, particularly in the crossover segment with its fire-breathing Levante, which competes against the Porsche Cayenne as well as the BMW X5.

Porsche, meanwhile, is offering the new Panamera S on its main stage, while Italian supercar brand Lamborghini is also present with the Huracan Performante, and McLaren is wowing passers-by with the 720S supercar.

Aston Martin has a few cars on display, with the highlight being on the glossy black Vanquish S on display. Sportscar fans will also be delighted to find the iconic Corvette Stingray at the Chevrolet booth.

Its recommended retail price of Bt34.9 million isn’t final as it depends on the number of bespoke items ordered, but the Rolls-Royce Black badge isn’t the costliest vehicle on display this year. The award goes to another Rolls model – the Phantom Drophead Coupe that costs a whopping Bt46.5 million.

Cheapest car at the show? Try the Suzuki Celerio eco car that comes at a starting price of Bt363,000.

Motorcycle fans are also flocking to the event, with 12 brands displaying hundreds of exhibits ranging from small to big bikes.

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