Eco-cars expected to hog limelight

This is the 33rd year that the show is being staged, and the recovery of the automobile industry from the flood crisis late last year will turn the event into a brutal battleground for auto companies.

A historic number of new model launches is expected to take place this year in Thailand, with more players launching products made under the Thai government’s eco-car project as well as the entry of four all-new pickup trucks from Isuzu, Chevrolet, Ford and Mazda.

Event organiser Prachin Eamlumnow says that the highlight of this year’s show, carrying the theme “Technology Difference”, would be eco-cars.

“A total of 21 manufacturers from the US, Europe, Japan, Korea and India will take part in the motor show. The highlight will be the eco-car and city car segments such as the Suzuki Swift and Mitsubishi Mirage, which are made under the eco-car scheme and are quickly gaining popularity. Other models to be introduced include the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Elantra,” he said.

More than 1.7 million people are expected to visit the show at Muang Thong Thani from March 28 to April 8. A record 40,000 orders are expected to be placed due to the disruption in the supply chain caused by last year’s flood.

According to Prachin, total eco-car sales at the show could reach 15,000 units.

The show is also home to a large number of luxury marquees every year.

“This year, we are welcoming back Rolls-Royce and Bentley,” Prachin said, adding that the costliest production car at this year’s show will be the McLaren F1.

“There will also be many concept vehicles from Toyota, Lexus, Hyundai and Tata,” he said.

 

Small cars in vogue

Following the global trend, consumers of today are looking for small and fuel-efficient cars that are more environmentally friendly.

Show organisers say that this is the year of passenger cars, with a large number of city cars as well as compact cars and luxury cars to be displayed and sold. This is a change in trend from the Thailand International Motor Expo in December when consumers rushed in to purchase pickup trucks due to the flood situation.

The Suzuki Swift and the Mitsubishi Mirage are surely the most talked-about cars of the month, and they will attempt to grab market share from existing eco-cars such as the Nissan March and Almera, as well as the Honda Brio. After the East Japan earthquake and tsunami and the Thai flood crisis that completely submerged the Honda plant in Ayutthaya last year, the Brio will make a comeback in showrooms this April.

Suzuki has already invited journalists to test-drive the Swift, which is powered by a 1.2-litre engine capable of producing 91 horsepower. It’s mated to a 5-speed manual or a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission).

The Mirage, meanwhile, is made at Mitsubishi’s third assembly plant at Laem Chabang, the result of a Bt16-billion investment.

Nobuyuki Murahashi, president of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand), said the Mirage’s advantages include its compact size and affordable pricing. He said the retail price of the Mirage ranges from Bt380,000 to Bt550,000.

Cars made under the eco-car scheme usually come with similar specs and pricing due to several requirements such as 20km per litre fuel economy.

Indian auto-maker Tata suffered a setback with its imported Nano model as it does not qualify for the First Car Buyer programme.

Nevertheless, Tata is moving ahead with its Nano project. It quietly distributed 10 units of the Nano to each dealer late last month in order to penetrate target customers. The Nano came with a manual transmission and retail price of Bt275,000. It will also be shown at the Tata booth.

Ford will be putting the spotlight on the Fiesta Sport Ultimate that comes with a total of seven airbags (segment first and only), as well as a 1.5-litre version of the Fiesta that will qualify for the First Car Buyer programme.

 

Luxury segment highly active

Toyota, the largest auto-maker in the country and the only major company to offer hybrid vehicles, will launch the all-new Camry, Prius and GT 86, the compact sports car that was developed from the FT 86 concept.

Honda will be making a comeback with the all-new Civic, after the project had to be postponed due to last year’s flood.

Hyundai is hoping to sell more than 1,000 units of its all-new Elantra this year, after deciding not to offer the Accent, which does not qualify for the First Car Buyer scheme as it is not assembled locally. The Elantra is expected to bag 200 orders at the motor show, according to Hyundai officials.

The Korean auto-maker will also exhibit the Veloster, and test the market for this sports hatch.

BMW Group Thailand will be highlighting the ActiveHybrid 5 (5 Series hybrid) along with the all-new 3 Series and the MINI Roadster, while arch rival Mercedes-Benz will display the new M-Class and C63 AMG, the beefed-up version of its C-Class Coupe.

Mitsuoka, a Japanese assembler, will show the Viewt, a sub-compact luxury classic that comes with a 1.2-litre engine. The Viewt is to be assembled in Thailand and the price is expected to be about Bt1 million.