Motor show the ideal platform for Trailblazer

This means that Thailand not only has two major auto shows every year, but both are staged at the same venue. This is something that happens only in Thailand and helps add colour and excitement to the Thai auto market.

At this year’s show, a large number of new models are being displayed – many of which have been officially launched within two weeks of the show in order to gain the edge in terms of marketing communication before the event starts.

American auto-maker Chevrolet is another brand that launched a new product prior to the show. The Trailblazer PPV (Pickup Passenger Vehicle) made its global debut in Bangkok last week, and apart from Thai media, foreign media were also invited to the launch event.

The timing for the launch of the Trailblazer is perfect, unlike the launch of the Colorado that was introduced long before sales commenced. This time the Trailblazer is available for customers right away.

I say the launch of the Trailblazer is right on time because since the floods last year, the demand for diesel-powered pickup trucks and PPVs have risen sharply, and Chevrolet can easily see this trend from increased sales of the Captiva SUV. The Captiva has become a highly successful model for Chevrolet with a waiting period of months.

The reason that the Captiva has become so popular is not only due to the floods that require vehicles with high ground clearance, but there is no strong competitor in the diesel SUV market.

The Honda CR-V, once the dominant model in this segment, has disappeared with the flood that totally submerged the Honda factories in Ayutthaya. Other models are also unable to compete against the Captiva, whether in terms of pricing or after-sales servicing network. They are just not “fresh” as the Captiva, which had just undergone improvements before the flood.

For the Trailblazer, the direct rival should be no other than the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport rather than other models that have their own loyal customer groups.

Both Chevrolet and Mitsubishi have about the same number of dealers and service centres while the pricing is also similar. Customers are those without much brand loyalty for major brands in the market, or those who have never owned a pickup or PPV before.

But no matter how many Trailblazers will be sold, its presence in the Thai market will definitely benefit Chevrolet in creating understanding and awareness for the Colorado, which shares the same technological foundation and engine. In other words, the Trailblazer is the model that will help raise the level for the Colorado.

However, it is a pity that even though the Trailblazer is capable of attracting potential customers into the Chevrolet showroom, Chevrolet sales people are still unable to convince people about the Cruze compact car. Since its launch in Thailand, not many units of the Cruze have been spotted on the roads, despite the fact that major rivals have also been weakened.

The competitor of the Cruze that is still going strong is the Toyota Corolla Altis, as the Honda Civic is in no position to claim any market share. Mitsubishi hasn’t thrown in enough marketing effort for the Lancer EX to stop the Cruze, and even the Ford Focus, which is the model that is mostly compared with the Cruze, has been keeping a rather low profile for a very long time.

Now Ford is ready to launch the new Focus, and Chevrolet can change the crisis into opportunity as consumers would want to compare these two models directly.

With more news and marketing activities for the Cruze, there will be opportunities to create sales opportunities. At the same time, Chevrolet will be heavily promoting the Trailblazer, and this will be hard work for the marketing team.

Well, nothing comes easy, especially in a market with strong players fiercely competing for market share.