Industry

GS Thailand, has developed a new battery which is aimed squarely at the new eco-car market.

Of course, these batteries are probably not all that special if you are used to living in a part of the world where virtually all batteries are modern, and maintenance free. And if you are like me, battery technology probably won't be getting you too excited. However, the effort from GS is appreciated and worth a mention.

Is this the face of the 2012 Honda CR-V? We can only hope it's not, but, the current model isn't exactly a beauty either. Still, the 2007 Honda CR-V is set to be replaced by an all new 2012 model in time for the new year.

Proposed changes to vehicle tax rates to be based on CO2 emissions are being met with some degree of reservation by the Thai auto industry, ever keen to hammer out the best possible deal.

Will the squeaky wheel get the kick or the oil? Who's crying like the biggest baby? Read on...

With the 2011 Bangkok International Motor Show just weeks away, Chevrolet has released a teaser image of its forthcoming Colorado pickup truck. The truck will be previewed at the Bangkok show, but in preproduction form.

The decision by GM to use the 32nd Bangkok International Motor Show to take the wraps off the new design is hardly surprising. One tonne pickup trucks are very popular in Thailand, and in 2010 over 40% of all vehicles sold in the kingdom were in this category.

Thailand is set to be the third country to produce the Prius hybrid. Starting next month, the Prius will join the Cmary Hybrid on Toyota's Gateway facility production line.

For hybrid vehicles to have any chance of success in Thailand pricing needs to be competitive. Toyota's decision to produce the Prius locally should help, and since the units built in Thailand will be for the domestic and local market, perhaps there is some room for Toyota to shave a few baht off the price when deciding the equipment levels that will be offered on the standard model.

Ford has taken the wraps off its all-new 2012 Ranger at the Australian International Motor Show. The truck was developed at Ford's facility in Melbourne, Australia, and shares its platform with the all-new Mazda BT-50. Both models should be arriving in Thailand next year, and both will be built at the Ford/Mazda facility in Rayong, Thailand.

For this post I'm going to focus on the details for the Ford Ranger, and although the BT-50 will most likely have a few unique tricks, the majority of details are shared between the two sisters. Just to take a moment to comment on the obvious difference between the two, which is in the looks department. Ford's new Ranger is handsome looking and has stuck to a tried and tested truck look which clearly doesn't take any chances. With the BT-50, Mazda have clearly taken a few chances, and the result is something you will probably either love or hate it. I know I have no love for it at all!

Paul Tan has popped up a brief post stating some details about the launch of the Chevrolet Cruze in Malaysia. Thailand is still waiting for this car!

Malaysia is not getting much choice in engines, and the car is imported from Korea. Clearly this strategy wouldn't be a success in Thailand, since it would be impossible to compete with locally built alternatives.

Apparently, Thailand is to relinquish it's role as the production hub for the Toyota Fortuner to Indonesia. According to paultan.org, this will happen sometime in July or August this year.

There could be many reasons for this move, but it is most likely related to the recent shuttering of the Samrong Plant, where the Fortuner was produced alongside the Vigo.

Toyota is to suspend production at its Thai Auto Works (TAW) plant at the end of the month. The plant in Samrong has been cranking out 60,000 vehicles a year, specifically the Fortuner and Vigo models, the bulk of which were for the export market.

The decision to suspend production was taken late last year, in the midst of an effort by the company to make best use of its global manufacturing resources.

Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Thailand’s second largest manufacturer and exporter of passenger cars, today exhibited its Honda New Small Concept, a compact-sized concept model and the U3-X, a new personal mobility device at the 31st Bangkok International Motor Show. Both mobility products, exhibited for the first time in Thailand, are expected to be the main attractions at Honda’s booth this year.

This just isn't even funny any more. On the 31st attempt at hosting an International Motor Show, it is hard to fathom how the event organisers could still get the event slogan so badly wrong. This year, the opening ceremony photo looks even funnier given that there is a British representative present and in massive print in front of the special people is the "sentence": "DRIVING SAVE THE EARTH".

Nissan has taken the covers off the all-new Nissan Micra at the Geneva motor show, and now that we can see what it looks like, I can't imagine there being a lot less interest in it. The only possible way this car could be a success is if it's insanely cheap.

Honda has just unveiled a new small car concept at the 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi. You'll never guess what they've called it, so I'll tell you: "New Small."

I really hope nobody got paid to come up with that name. But, while the name might indeed be about as imaginative as the title of this article, the car itself is much less dull. In fact, I'd say it bodes well for the chances of the Eco Car's success in Thailand when it is launched next year (2011 people).

Toyota are due to dispaly a new small car in India. The Toyota Etios (apparently meaning "the origin of") at the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo which begins later this week. Usually cars released on the Indian market don't give much insight into the Thai market, but this could be different.

A while back I did a speculative piece and suggested that the Nissan Eco Car could be on the market as soon as October 2009. Well, it's now almost 2010, so I guess you win some, but not the rest.

But this morning Nissan Thailand sent me a very nice little card in the mail, and I'm sure they won't mind me sharing it with you all here. It seems that while I was wrong about the timing of the Eco Car launch, I was probably right about the actual car Nissan would use. Read on...