Here’s why the Bangkok International Motor Show is way more important than Singapore’s motor show. And check out these highlights…

BANGKOK, THAILAND — The curtain went down on the Bangkok International Motor Show on Sunday, bringing to a close an event has grown into a major event for the Thai auto business, as well as the region’s.

In terms of scale and importance, the Bangkok show (or BIMS, as locals call it) makes our own Singapore motor show look like something of a pop-up store.

An estimated 1.6m people passed through the show’s three halls at the Impact exhibition centre, making BIMS a better-attended event than even the gargantuan Frankfurt motor show. (That’s the one all motoring journalists fear, for the sake of their soles.)

But perhaps the most staggering measure of the 12-day show’s importance is the impact it has on vehicle sales in Thailand. Around 30 percent of the Thai market’s annual sales are conducted at BIMS, says Jaturont Komolmis, the chief operating officer of BIMS organiser Grand Prix International.

One industry source says this year’s show saw around 37,000 cars sold — nearly the entire annual volume of the Singapore car market — which is a huge number for a passenger car market worth 369,839 units last year.

That’s not quite 30 percent, but a large number of subsequent sales after the show can undoubtedly trace their origins to leads generated at BIMS.

Just as telling, the Thai industry typically sees a large slowdown in car sales in January and February, the months leading up to the Bangkok show.

“The show is known for special deals,” Khun Jaturont tells me. These can take the form of free insurance, financing at 0 percent for two years, and so on. Potential buyers tend to wait for the show, rather than risk missing out on a promo. “People want to come and make sure,” he says.

That feeds into a virtuous circle: because people look forward to the show for promotions, car brands launch new cars there and come up with can’t-say-no deals, which trains buyers to wait for BIMS before buying a new vehicle, which makes the brands try ever harder.

Perhaps that’s why Mercedes-Benz reportedly invested the equivalent of more than $3.5m to build a two-storey showcase for its entire model range for Thailand there.

Of course, a motor show is ultimately only as strong as the cars it has on display. Here are just some of the things on display at BIMS that we wish we had more of at the Singapore Motor Show…

EXOTIC CARS

Mercedes-AMG GT S

It’s tough to capture in pics just how striking the GT is in real life, but the two-door, two-seat coupe was a showstopper at Bangkok. It’s being launched in Thailand in range-topping GT S trim only. That means 503bhp, 100km/h in 3.8 seconds, and a 310km/h top whack.

Curious about the price there? THB14,900,000 for starters (roughly $621,000 in our money). The fully-loaded show car (with a full carbon interior) tipped the price scales at THB16,580,000 ($690,000), not all that far off the target Singapore price of $800,000 with COE for the Mercedes-AMG GT when it’s launched here. One scary option: the vivid yellow paint costs THB650,000, enough to buy a small car in Thailand.

Toyota Mirai

You might think of the hydorgen fuel-cell powered Mirai as a concept car (its name even means “future” in Japanese), but it’s actually a production model that went on sale in selected markets in December last year.

It has a 154 horsepower electric motor fed by batteries that can also be topped up by fuel cells: devices that take hydrogen and use it to generate electricity, with water vapour as the only emissions.

Toyota has been working on fuel cell cars for 20 years now, and produced the Mirai after designing halving the size and weight of the  fuel cell stack from an earlier version. The Camry-sized Mirai may not be your idea of an exotic car, but it’s bound to be rare: Toyota intends to build just 700 examples.

SMALL SEDANS

Mazda Mazda2 Sedan

Singapore is still in love with its four-door cars, which would have made the Mazda2 a draw at our motor show if it had been there. But whether the Mazda2 Sedan will even make it to Singapore is “under negotiation”, says a source from local importer, Eurokars. One sticking point is that the 2 Sedan is made in Thailand, which doesn’t square with Mazda’s “made in Japan” narrative here. But the handsome looks and frugal 1.3-litre engine could be just what buyers here are looking for.

Suzuki Ciaz

Another car in the sub-Corolla class, the Ciaz takes Suzuki’s mastery of small cars and applies it to four doors. It’s nicely assembled, has digital air-con controls and the boot has a huge 565 litre capacity. Options include keyless entry and start, cruise control and paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. Expect to see the 1.2-litre, 91bhp Ciaz here in the second half of the year. It should sell for a slight premium to the Swift.

WILD WAGONS

Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake

The CLA Shooting Brake solves two limitations that afflict the CLA -Class: tight rear headroom and a small boot. The wagon shape extends the small Merc’s roofline to create a bit more cabin space, and the boot starts at 495 litres (that’s 25 litres up on the four-door CLA) and grows when you fold the rear seats.

Of course, the CLA Shooting Brake isn’t really being pitched for its practicality. It’s for people who are tired of the four-door format and want something different, so it’ll be interesting to see how it fares in Singapore when it’s launched later in the year.

Mini Clubman Concept

Strictly speaking this Mini has six doors: four for passengers, and a pair of split, Western Bar type doors for the boot area. Viewed in the flesh the Clubman Concept is strikingly large for a Mini; it’s a good 26cm longer than the current Mini Clubman, and 17cm. Mini calls it a concept car, but it looks pretty finished to us.

TOWKAY CARS

Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe

Another Southeast Asian debut at Bangkok was the GLE Coupe, which is basically Mercedes’ answer to the BMW X6. It’s a visually arresting
car, and in spite of the sloping roofline there’s plenty of headroom in the back.

In some regional marke
ts large SUVs like the GLE-Class BMW X5 effectively serve as flagship models, and towkays ride around in them because road conditions don’t suit an S-Class or 7 Series as well. Wonder how bosses will take to something both high-riding  and sleek like the GLE Coupe…

Toyota Alphard

Bangkok traffic is notoriously bad, which means that cars like the Alphard are another favoured way for the wealthy to get around. The boxy shape creates an enormous amount of space inside, and the chairs are essentially Business Class items, reclining nicely with pop-up footrests.

While someone else does the driving, you work, rest or put those curtains to good use in the back. This living-room-on-wheels is another car slated for a Singapore launch that didn’t appear at the Singapore Motor Show.

WACKY WHEELS

Isuzu X-Series

What motor show is complete without something to scratch your head at? Check out this tricked out Isuzu X-Series. Given that Thailand is the world’s biggest market for light pickups, this mean, green machine could well represent the motoring dreams of countless young Thai bucks.

SsangYong Actyon Sports

Because women need to go on camping trips dressed in evening gowns, SsangYong rolled out this camper version of the Actyon Sports A200S. The rear cab has a fridge, cabinet, and a small bed that left me feeling concerned about whether the women showcasing the car would have had to end up sleeping on top of one another.

MOTORCYCLES

Ducati Scrambler concept

The Singapore Motor Show had one motorcycle. Biking culture seems somewhat more alive in Thailand, where there’s a flourishing production scene. Ducati builds the Scrambler there for global export, for instance. A neatly-modded example took centrestage at Ducati’s stand.

BMW F 800 R

Possibly the most fun BMW bike to ride at the moment, the F 800 R has been given a major makeover, with new front-end styling (check out the diamond-shaped lamp; you’ll be seeing it on a lot more of BMW’s bikes) that incorporates restyled panels and beefy, upside-down forks. The seat height’s been lowered by 10mm to 790mm, and the engine has been given a power hike to 90bhp. Can’t wait to jump on top of that.

BMW S 1000 XR

Another bike I can’t wait to swing a leg over is the S 1000 XR, which basically combines adventure biking with adrenaline. It takes the monstrous 999cc engine from the first S 1000 RR, detunes it to 160bhp but bumps up the torque to 112Nm, and bungs it into a chassis that should offer much more comfort for everyday riding. Repeat: cannot wait.

BMW R 1200 R

The classic naked Boxer-twin bike that is a sort of eternal BMW has finally been updated with the current-generation liquid cooled engine, which means it’ll be much smoother and punchier to ride than before. But check out the front forks: they’re a shift away from the tricky telelever front end that BMW seemed fixated on. Also new is the trellis frame painted red. It all adds up to a surprisingly stylish bike. Frankly, BMWs aren’t supposed to be this sexy. Expect to see a Singapore debut soon, alongside the half-faired R 1200 RS version

BMW R 1200 RT-P

You’d stop if you were pulled over by that, wouldn’t you?

Stallions Motorcycles

 

Stallions is a Thai brand that cranks out scooters and retro machines in the 150cc, single cylinder bike class. The company’s stand at BIMS was stuffed with an array of custom machines that drew plenty of looks. Something about heavy modification must be irresistible.

BABES

Every year BIMS’ organisers actually crown a Miss Motor Show. This year’s winner won a small hatchback, THB100,000, and gift vouchers to slimming centres and beauty and modelling school. The first runner up won a Yamaha motorcycle. I didn’t catch sight of either, but like any large motor show, Bangkok’s wasn’t short on glamour.

One major difference between their race queens and ours is that the Thai show girls are expected to talk; that is, they give product presentations instead of merely standing there.

At BIMS, Toyota took the chance to unveil this year’s Toyota Pretties: eight women chosen for their beauty and their ability to explain everything there is to know about Toyota and its cars.

It’s nice to see women busily espousing the corporate values of a car giant, instead of just smiling ornamentally. As for how the rest of Bangkok’s show girls measure up to those in the Singapore Motor Show, I’ll let you decide.

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