THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Sales in high gear at Bangkok motor show

Sales in high gear at Bangkok motor show

Almost 10,000 orders have already been placed for new vehicles at the halfway point of the annual Bangkok International Motor Show.
The event, organized by Grand Prix International (GPI), opened at the Challenger Hall, IMPACT Muangthong Thani on March 29 and runs until April 9.
Jaturont Komolmis, vice chairman of the organizing committee, said the show has gained wide interest mainly due to the large number of new models being introduced. More than 20 new car models and 20 new motorcycle models have been launched at the show.
“The small passenger car segment enjoyed strong interest from young buyers and the commercial vehicle segment was also popular, due to a better economy and growth in the agricultural sector,” he said.
Recreational vehicles such as SUVs (sport utility vehicles) and PPVs (pick-up passenger vehicles) are also gaining more popularity, Jaturont said.
From the opening day of the show until April 2, a total of 9,294 orders were placed. The figure does not include European brands and motorcycles, which will submit sales figures at the end of the show.
Honda is enjoying tremendous popularity with its new CR-V, and leads the standings with 2,153 orders, followed by arch rival Toyota with 1,847 orders. 
Pick-up expert Isuzu is also selling briskly, with 1,238 orders received, while Mazda secured 990 orders and American auto maker Ford, which is currently being sued by a group of Thai customers for gearbox problems in its Fiesta subcompact, received 635 orders.
The Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo booths are also crowded with customers, and organizers are expecting high sales numbers from these luxury brands.
German supercar brand Porsche is also on a roll, with 40 orders.
Last year a total of 32,000 orders were placed during the show.
Jaturont said: “The Bangkok Motor Show is not only about new model launches, but we also give a lot of importance to new technologies. We have concept cars from Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan, as well as a concept motorcycle from Honda.
“The visitor experience is another attraction, with every auto company creating beautiful booth designs and staging colorful presentations.”
GPI is also staging the Bangkok Used Car Show at the adjacent IMPACT Exhibition Center that will end on April 9. Almost 8,000 used cars were sold in the event last year and organizers are expecting high figures again this year.

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