The ACE Recognition Award honours Amcham corporate members who demonstrate a strong understanding of the links between their business operations and society and conduct business in a way that creates long-term economic and social value.

Now in its 9th year, the Amcham ACE Awards is a highly-regarded prize for CSR recognition within the US and international business community in Thailand.

“The ACE Recognition Gold Award, which we are receiving for the seventh consecutive year, demonstrates GM’s long-term commitment to giving back to the communities where we live and work and driving a better tomorrow for everyone, as we envision a future of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” said Ian Nicholls, president of GM Southeast Asia.

Organiser Kwanchai Paphatphong said passenger cars and SUVs were popular, while motorcycles also received the expected attention.

A total of 21,476 orders were placed for automobiles with Honda snatching 3,804 orders followed by Mazda with 3,349, Toyota with 2,869, Isuzu with 2,134 and Mitsubishi with 1,643.

For motorcycles, 4,530 orders were placed – Honda with 915 orders, Yamaha with 556, Kawasaki with 464, Lambretta with 388 and Vespa with 286.

Kwanchai said auto sales are expected to reach 45,000 at this year’s show while the projection for motorcycles is 8,000 units.

More than 1.5 million visitors are expected for the event, which goes on until December 10.

According to a press release issued by the company on Friday, the move is based on the global brand message “Drive your Ambition” and intended to provide better customer experiences and also strengthen its brand image.

Morikazu Chokki, president and CEO of MMTh, said: “Overall performance is good, we are in the right track to 2018 target. However, we are still committed to emphasise improvement of products and services. To further evolve our brand, we will implement a new outlet identity to ensure that the customers can experience a consistent Mitsubishi-ness, including looks and feel, as well as service quality of Mitsubishi Motors Thailand wherever they are.”

Mitsubishi Motors Thailand plans to upgrade its 220 outlets nationwide by FY2020 while changes at the first 40 outlets will be completed within FY2018. Nine of them have been completed.

Kunat Lertratananon, CEO of Solar Gard, said presently Solar Gard has a total of seven dealerships, located in Rachayothin, Barom Ratchachonnanee, Ekamai, Ramindra, Rangsit and Pak Kret.

“Solar Gard plans to grow continuously in Thailand,” Kunat said. “We have a target of achieving 5 per cent market share from a market worth Bt1.5-1.6 billion per year.

“In 2019 we plan to appoint more dealers in major provinces such as Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Songkhla and Phuket respectively. We also plan to appoint seven more dealers in Bangkok.”

“Competition in the solar film market in Thailand is pretty fierce especially with car showroom groups. However, solar films have become a necessity that consumers are willing to pay for, compared to other goods in the car accessory segment,” he said.

The new car market this year is expected to exceed 920,000 units, which will benefit the solar film business due to this growth.

This year’s Motor Expo features a good collection of concept vehicles and new models as well as many other attractions that could attract more than 1.5 million visitors.

The expo, which marks the year-end auto-buying season, is being held at the Challenger Hall, Impact Muangthong Thani, until December 10.

Organisers say that as much as Bt55 billion could be generated from auto sales and other spending, including booth set-up. Motor Expo founder Kwanchai Paphatphong said that this year, 45,000 orders are expected to be placed for automobiles, plus another 8,000 for big bikes.

Five auto makers are showing off hi-tech concept vehicles at the Motor Expo. They include Mercedes- Benz (EQA), Mazda (Vision Coupe), MG

(E-Motion), Mini (John Cooper Works GP) and Porsche (Mission E).

More than 20 new and minor-change models are being displayed at the show, with auto companies eyeing to win a large number of customers before wrapping up their 2018 sales performance.

Auto sales are expected to pass the 1-million-unit mark this year, and many companies have been upping their sales targets as well as market projections during the second half of the year.

In terms of products, there’s a lot to see. While Audi is presenting its new A6 Avant, BMW’s highlight is on the new 8 Series while Mercedes-AMG took the opportunity to launch the CLS 53 4MATIC+.

The fight is already on in the Japanese executive car class between the new Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. While the Camry has already been officially launched for sale with pretty attractive packaging and pricing, the Accord is just being unveiled here to create customer awareness before its official launch early next year.

Nissan is the first major auto maker to officially launch an EV (electric vehicle). The much-anticipated Leaf is priced at Bt1.99 million, and it will be interesting how this futuristic model will perform in the Thai market as EV charging infrastructure is quickly growing.

Hyundai is also quick in the EV market, displaying the Kona Electric at its main stage. Local EV manufacturers like FOMM are also present, but the small size of the vehicles being offered limits them to slower driving in closed areas.

While super luxury brand Rolls-Royce is showing off its first SUV – the Cullinan, Italian supercar maker Lamborghini has also taken the same approach, pulling the wraps off the monstrous Urus (I call it Darth Vader’s SUV). Aston Martin is showing the new Vantage, McLaren is present with the 600 LT, and Porsche has introduced the new Macan that’s expect to sell very well in the luxury crossover market.

Visitors also get a chance to shop for car audio equipment with the large number of promotions being offered, along with other accessories for both cars and motorcycles.

I spent some time checking out the imitation leather jackets that come with a starting price of Bt1,000 (real ones would set you back Bt20,000), and bikers will love the large collection of apparel as well as helmets with very low prices.

There are various areas outside of Challenger Hall used for driving activities, including test drives as well as autonomous driving, safety driving and off-roading. The best time to visit the show is late morning on weekdays, when crowds are sparse and parking is easy.

A 4-litre V8 twin-turbo engine propels the Urus to speeds exceeding 300 kilometres per hour, making it one of the fastest SUVs ever produced.

It accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 3.6 seconds, 0 to 200km/h in 12.8 seconds, and has a top speed of 305km/h.

ML Nathasit Diskul, director of Lamborghini Bangkok (Renazzo Motor), said on Monday: “The Lamborghini Urus is a super-SUV that has enjoyed overwhelmingly positive feedback in every country where it has been launched, and globally its production has been covered for almost a year as of today. I’m very confident that, as the world’s first super-SUV, the Urus will take the trend of super-sport utility vehicles to the next level.”

“The starting price of the Lamborghini Urus is Bt23.42 million, which includes top-class after-sales service and full-option maintenance at our service centre for five years by our team of mechanics who have over 20 years of experience,” he added.

The first delivery for Urus super-SUVs booked during December will take place during the first half of next year.

Nissan is hoping to sell almost 1 million light commercial vehicles (LCVs) around the world this year, reflecting the increasing popularity of these

vehicles.

According to the Yokohama-based manufacturer, one in six vehicles it sold around the world last year were an LCV, and half of those were pick-ups. Nissan’s mid-term plan is to grow sales by 40 per cent within 2022, and registering an operating profit of above

8 per cent.

Nissan recently held a special driving event in Morocco for auto journalists from several markets around the world, including Thailand. It picked four outstanding models from its global LCV lineup to be driven in varying Moroccan conditions, ranging from tarmac to rocks to beautiful but treacherous sand dunes.

The lineup was interesting, as it featured models from different continents – the large Titan pick-up from the US, the Patrol SUV from Japan, Navara 1-ton pick-up from Spain and the Terra PPV (pick-up passenger vehicle) from the Philippines (the recently-launched Thai version fitted with a newer engine could not make it in time for the event).

Also on display and featured were specialised vehicles from the Nissan stable, including the Armada Mountain Patrol, Patrol Fanta Limon, and Navara Dark Sky Concept (along with the observatory-class telescope on a bespoke off-road trailer) that was developed with the European Space Agency. The Dark Sky was just unveiled in September at the Hanover Motor Show.

Upon arrival in Er-Rachidia in Morocco, journalists from Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Middle East and Thailand took up position in three caravans featuring the four models, and switched vehicles throughout the three-day drive in order to experience what each had to offer under different conditions.

Although it was tiresome to change vehicles all day long, it was easy to notice the strengths of each truck, as well as their weaknesses. For example while the Patrol and Titan offered highly comfortable rides and had large, high-torque 5.6-litre V8 petrol engines that were perfect for on-road as well as rock driving, the lighter and diesel-powered Navara and Terra were easier to handle on the sand dunes.

The sandy Moroccan landscape was spectacular enough to make Windows screensavers, and it was no wonder why it was chosen for several movie sites (including The Mummy and Spectre).

While light off-roading sections of the drive were easy to deal with (2WD did fine on some parts), the sand dunes were definitely the big challenge for those trying it for the first time.

Having some experience in tricky sand before, I knew that the team of Spanish instructors were serious when they stressed that going up and down steep dunes had to be done in a straight line.

The importance of throttle timing is multiplied in sand driving, and only experience can teach you how much to press (or ease) that throttle in order to maintain the right momentum and glide through the sandy terrain. It’s rather against your instinct, but once you get the driving line and timing right, you’re fine.

Fortunately we weren’t forced to cross particularly steep dunes that are really scary, especially for those with a fear of heights), and actually had a challenging (and fun) time at the sand dunes on the northern tip of the Sahara Desert.

Er-Rachidia

Er-Rachidia is the capital and largest city of the Draa-Tafilalet region in eastern Morocco. It has approximately 90,000 inhabitants scattered across a sparsely populated area.

Once part of the Paris-Dakar Rally (2006 and 2007) Er-Rachidia has long been considered the “gateway to the desert”. After driving past the city, there are numerous terrain changes including some with gruelling conditions.

Vehicles

Nissan Titan

The Titan was my favourite model in this lineup, not only because it is huge (the cabin is so wide it’s impossible to reach the passenger-side door panel), but because of the throbbing 5.6-litre V8 and the large number of extra features offered. It just makes the top Thai pick-up trucks look like children’s toys.

Engine: V8 DOHC 32-valve with Continuous Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) and Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL)

Displacement: 5,552cc

Max power: 395hp

Max torque: 560Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic

Suspension: double wishbone/multi-leaf with solid axle

Wheels and tyres: P275/70R18

Curb weight: 3,311kg

Average fuel economy: 14.7 litres/100km

Nissan Patrol

The 2018 Patrol continues a heritage begun in 1951, when it was first used as a military vehicle. Over the years, the Patrol has evolved into a large SUV offering high comfort levels along with off-roading capability for civilian buyers.

Engine: V8 DOHC 32-valve with Continuous Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS) and Variable Valve Event and Lift (VVEL)

Displacement: 5,552cc

Max power: 400hp

Max torque: 560Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic

Suspension: double wishbone/double wishbone

Wheels and tyres: P275/60R20

Curb weight: n/a

Average fuel economy: 12.5 litres/100km

Nissan Navara

The Navara is built in Thailand and also in Barcelona, and comes with a multi-link rear suspension providing a high level of comfort compared to the conventional leaf spring type. Another strong point of the Navara is its passenger car-like interior, giving a more upmarket feel than regular commercial-grade trucks.

Engine: 4-in-line DOHC 16-valve

Displacement: 2,298cc

Max power: 187hp

Max torque: 450Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic

Suspension: double wishbone/multi-link

Wheels and tyres: 255/60 R18

Curb weight: 1,974kg

Average fuel economy: 6.9 litres/100km

Nissan Terra

After launching the first Terra model, Nissan denied plans for a PPV version, but it eventually arrived. Being the late bloomer in the PPV market, the Terra needed to offer attractive features like a rear-view monitor and double-wishbone/5-link rear coil spring suspension tuned for handling and ride comfort.

The Terra was first offered in China, and is currently being launched in Asean markets, while Australia, the Middle East and South America could also welcome it in the future.

Engine: 4-in-line DOHC turbo

Displacement: 2,488

Max power: 187hp

Max torque: 450

Transmission: 7-speed automatic

Suspension: double wishbone/multi-link

Wheels and tyres: 255/60R18

Curb weight: 2,700kg

Average fuel economy: n/a