The export of new energy vehicles in China became the new trend of domestic car companies last year, and the second exporter was Thailand, which just opened the visa-free system.
Although Japanese brands have occupied the Southeast Asian market since the 1960s, last year, among the top 10 brands in Thailand, they have squeezed into three China car companies. Among them, the biggest contributor is Thailand’s 3030 plan-to increase the penetration rate of new energy to 30% in 2030.
In order to better understand the bridgehead of Southeast Asian auto market, Jiashi School also went deep into the 2024 Bangkok International Auto Show, where not only eight China auto companies occupied half of the exhibition hall, but also traditional Japanese, American and German luxury brands guarded the gate.
Through the on-the-spot visit of the driving school, maybe we will see the Thai auto market that has gradually changed.
01
Volvo EX30
At the 2024 Bangkok Auto Show, it brought small pure electricity: EX30.
The exhibition cars should all come from Geely’s Zhangjiakou factory. At present, there are two versions of single motor 540km and double motor 520km. The lowest price is 1.59 million baht, which is 315,000 yuan. I believe that the domestic sales price must be at least 30% off first.
From the look and feel, EX30 is about the same size as the X of the same SEA architecture, and the design is a little baby version of EX90, and many details have been passed down to the essence. The interior is more concise, the traditional instrument panel has been removed, and the car provided by Yikatong uses 8155 chips, which should be very lethal in overseas markets. However, in terms of space, the 2650mm wheelbase has not been well played, and the back row is relatively tight for adults.
On the whole, it’s still a refined model, and the concept of environmental protection in the use of materials has also been maintained. Friends who are interested in it can also see its China debut at the auto show.
02
Nezha V-Ⅱ made in Thailand.
At the 2024 Bangkok Auto Show, the-II produced by the Thai factory was released. In fact, it is the mid-term change of Nezha V, which is called AYA in China, and the price has just been reduced by 8,000 yuan.
Judging from the actual vehicle on the spot, the Nezha V-Ⅱ made in Thailand has the same level as the domestic version, with cheap texture, basic functions of intelligent cockpit and intelligent driving, and a little narrow space. However, for Southeast Asian users, as long as the price is appropriate, it should be able to meet most of the demand for electric vehicles.
From the actual record, last year, Nezha was the 10th largest car company in Thailand, with 1.3w units sold. This year, it should be able to take advantage of the domestic trend of Nezha V-II and Thailand’s new energy subsidy policy. However, at the scene, we also saw the live broadcast personnel from Nezha, bringing "Bangkok Auto Show Synchronization Subsidy" to China users. It seems that saving the country by curve cannot fill the shortcomings, and the huge domestic market is the foundation for Nezha’s revival, so wait and see if it is a lifesaver.
03
Vinfast WILD concept car
Can Nhat Vuong Pham, the richest man in Vietnam, hold on to his dream of building a car longer than Boss Xu? At the 2024 Bangkok Auto Show, which opened today, Jiashi School saw the brand new concept of pickup truck WILD.
Its size is slightly shorter than that of a gun, and its width is close to 2 meters. It is already a big man in the pickup truck market in Southeast Asia. It is said that the Australian design studio Gomitiv spent 8,000 hours polishing the overall shape, and it is also more avant-garde than the mainstream pickup truck. I don’t know how many doors, electronic rearview mirrors and air suspensions can be retained after mass production, and the rear space of the WILD concept car is really a bit stretched.
Although the power form has not been announced, and there is no obvious refueling or charging position on the car body, Vinfast will probably turn it into an electric pickup truck, which also makes WILD’s battery life challenging-however, let’s wait until that day. After all, last year, Vietnamese brands sold 50,000 units, but actually only sold more than 10,000 units, of which 7,100 units were purchased by their own car rental companies, which made me feel a little bad when I saw seven models on the scene at the same time.
04
Toyota hilux Champ
My favorite car at 2024 Bangkok Auto Show is Champ, hilux.
This is a very pure tool car, which basically restored the IMV0 concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show last year and catered to the retro trend. Although this pickup truck is extremely simple in terms of material texture and configuration level, airbags, tachometers and ABS are optional, and the starting price of 459,000 baht is lower than that of many small cars, but it meets the needs of working people. It is not only changeable and can be installed, but also has many possibilities for personalized customization. For example, I saw its version on the booth.
Hilux Champ at Bangkok Auto Show has long axis and standard axis versions, which are currently produced in Samrong factory in Thailand and mainly sold in Southeast Asian market. As a commercial pickup truck, its possibility of entering the China market is almost zero, but such an entry-level pickup truck, which can support the family and has the ability of customization, may be imitated by any car company.
05
Nissan Almera
At the 2024 Bangkok Auto Show, there were no new cars. Except for the e-Power of Xinhe Kicks, I spent more time watching the Nissan Almera-or the Southeast Asian version of Sunshine, which is more familiar to everyone.
From the design point of view, Almera has used Nissan’s latest family language, including the texture of the interior is not too cheap, except that the fabric seat feels a bit stiff. In space, Almera is also close to the level, and it is no problem for two normal adults to be in the back row. However, Nissan only provides a combination of a 1.0T three-cylinder engine and a CVT gearbox. I wonder if Southeast Asian consumers are psychologically clean about this matter.
As a scooter equivalent to RMB 110,000-140,000, Nissan Almera has a high enough popularity in the local market, but if it is imported to replace the classics, I think it is meaningless. Joint venture brands have been eaten clean by independent car companies in this market. How to find the value in the middle and high-end field is a more important task.
06
Kia EV9
At the 2024 Bangkok Auto Show, Jiashi School saw the flagship pure electricity: EV9, which just landed in the Southeast Asian market. This model also won the title of car of the year in North America and Britain last year, and was also among the top three cars of the year in the world together with Volvo EX30 at the Geneva Motor Show, which is widely recognized in the industry.
From the actual experience, the EV9 doesn’t have much pursuit of being different, the design language is as straight as the EV5, and the sense of science and technology in the car is not as good as that of the new domestic forces. The screen is not only spliced, but also has no curved shape, but it will be more acceptable to traditional car users.
Moreover, the ergonomics is really excellent, the seat comfort is good, the detailed materials are in place, and the comfortable configuration of the top model is still rich. The space in the third row of the six-seat model is similar, but weaker.
As the peak of pure electricity in South Korea, KIA EV9 battery with the maximum 99.8 degree can run out of WLTC battery life of 540km, and the 800V platform also has the maximum charging power of 350kW. The dual-motor boost version outputs 700Nm torque and 5.3 seconds of acceleration, which is also excellent in China market. Only in the case of the decline of Korean brands, EV9 really has no premium ability. If it can live as steadily as EV5, there is still room for survival if it is introduced into the domestic sales range of 300,000.
07
Corolla Cross
It is expected that the mid-term change of Cross made in China in the third quarter of this year will also bring the Southeast Asian version at the 2024 Bangkok Auto Show.
This time, the upgrade of Toyota models focuses on the front face, and the borderless grid modeling has been used in some products. In addition, the headlights of Corolla Cross are also connected with the middle grid with belts, and the front bumper is provided with ventilation slots, and the details of "running water turn signal" may be added.
In terms of other styling, except for the new style of 18-inch wheels, the taillight light source has been changed, and the Corolla Cross, which was redesigned in the middle period, has not been adjusted more.
The central control panel of Corolla Cross is slightly increased to 10.1 inches, and the dashboard has a large-area LCD display. However, Toyota still uses the 1.8L fuel version and hybrid power. Although it has been fine-tuned, it has not been upgraded to the latest version of the 2.0L engine and dual-engine hybrid like the domestic Corolla Cross.
The Corolla Cross sold in Thailand started at 999,000 baht, which is ridiculously expensive for the domestic market. According to the previous situation, this set of design will be transmitted to the high probability, and the details will not be determined until the second half of the year.
08
Honda City hatchback hybrid version
Although it has gone far away from us, its spirit remains in Southeast Asia: at the booth of the 2024 Bangkok Auto Show, you can see the new City Hatchback that debuted.
It is said that it is a new model. In fact, Hatchback, like the sedan version, is closer to the annual change, and the design change is difficult to be detected. In addition to the blackened front and rear light sets and 16-inch wheels, the RS version I shot has a more sporty shape on the front and rear bumpers, and the plastic mesh grille is also somewhat different from the old one.
As a high-end model of City Hatchback, the car will be upgraded with a 7-inch LCD screen and an instrument panel with an hour pointer. The 8-inch central control screen supports CarPlay, and the low-end one is only a host that can connect to Bluetooth. In addition, Honda’s entire system comes standard with Honda Sensing driver assistance function, and the powertrain is also outside the 1.0T three-cylinder, adding a 1.5L HEV version. 109hp horsepower and 253Nm torque are abundant for this small car, and the official average fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is only 3.6L.
With a starting point of 599,000 and a top allocation of 749,000 baht, Honda can completely replace Jazz with City Hacthback-in fact, I was at the Honda booth and didn’t see the familiar Fit.
（END）
