Small car expert Suzuki has been highly successful in the Thai market thanks to products that suit customer preferences.

While the Swift eco car has been its biggest hit, Suzuki also offers other types of “small” vehicles, including MPVs (multi purpose vehicles) like the Ertiga.

The Ertiga, which is made in Indonesia (the largest MPV market in this region), is priced at Bt655,000 for the GL and Bt695,000 for the GX featured today.

In many cases the Ertiga is actually the next step for Swift owners, Suzuki hopes. As Swift owners mature, get married and have children, the good old eco car may not be adequate for the whole family, which usually includes in-laws too, particularly in Asian countries. Here is where the Ertiga fits in – while the pricing is below Bt700,000, which is highly affordable – it offers a bunch of features, including a total of seven seats.

Those who prefer funky designs may shy away from the Ertiga (The Toyota Sienta is more eye-catching and the Mitsubishi Xpander looks like it comes from space), which has been designed with a more elegant and luxurious styling.

The Ertiga comes with smart entry system and a new remote unit that replaces the elliptical-shaped remote offered for all models in the past. The interior features good-looking wood trim and has pretty conventional design. There are also chrome door handles both inside and out.

Despite being a small MPV, there’s still plenty of space with good legroom and headroom. The third-row seats can be folded completely flat to give you 550 litres of luggage space. For more carrying capacity, fold the second row seats (with 240mm slide and recline function) and you get as much as 803 litres. The floor of the luggage compartment can be opened for additional covered storage.

The flat-bottomed wood/leather multifunction steering wheel has controls for the audio system and mobile phone, and appears pretty sporty. There is an infotainment system with Bluetooth plus information display screen with vehicle and trip data.

There are 10 bottle/cup holders located around the cabin, along with a front USB port and two 12V outlets for the front and rear. Rear passengers also get additional overhead air-conditioning with fan speed control.

The dual cupholders in the centre console also come with air vents to cool the drinks. When there are no drinks to cool, you can close the vents and redirect all airflow to the air-con vents. Brilliant.

The four-cylinder, 16-valve engine pumps out 105 horsepower and 138Nm of torque, and is mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, delivering an average fuel economy of 15.9km/litre (in real life I averaged about 13km/litre which is acceptable for a 1.1-tonne vehicle).

It’s easy to notice when the variable valve system kicks in, giving the Ertiga decent acceleration. Its strength is in the city, though – raise the speed on the highway and things start getting shaky.

The steering is pretty firm and the suspension doesn’t feel sloppy like many small MPVs, which is a surprise. The damping system works well too, soaking up shock from speed bumps and potholes effectively. The Ertiga maintains good stability while cornering too, making life easier for the driver.

But at 120km/h and above, MPVs like the Ertiga start to feel the aerodynamic downside due to their boxy profile. The effect from strong crosswinds can feel amplified, and wind noise is also more noticeable.

In terms of safety, there are dual front airbags, ABS brakes with Brake Assist, ESP (Electronic Stability Control), Hill Hold Control, two child seat anchors and seatbelts for all seven occupants. Unfortunately there are only audible parking sensors – the rear-view camera seems to be missing.

The Ertiga’s goal is to secure customers for Suzuki after they have grown out of the Swift age range and enter family life. Apart from seating for seven and lots of carrying capacity that makes it good for upcountry trips, the Ertiga also offers an improved ride quality over the previous model, and comes with the right amount of features for its price range.

Suzuki Ertiga GX AT

Engine: 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve

Displacement: 1,462cc

Bore and stroke: 74x86mm

Compression ratio: 10.5:1

Max power: 105ps/6,000rpm

Max torque: 138Nm/4,400rpm

Transmission: 4-speed automatic

Ratios: 2.875/1.568/1.000/0.696

Final drive ratio: 4.278

Average fuel economy: 15.9km/litre

Average CO2: 146g/km

Suspension (f/r): McPherson strut, coil springs/torsion beam, coil springs

Steering: powered rack-and-pinion

Turning circle: 10.4 metres

Brakes (f/r): vented disc/disc

Dimensions (mm)

Length: 4,395

Width: 1,735

Height: 1,690

Wheelbase: 2,740

Track (f/r): 1,510/1,520

Weight: 1,135kgs

Wheels: 15-inch steel

Tyres: 185/65 R15

Fuel tank capacity: 45 litres

Price: Bt695,000

Distributor: Suzuki Motor Thailand Co Ltd

Thai Rent A Car Corporation Co Ltd says it has rolled out a new project, Car Go Thailand with over Bt400 million.

Car Go is offering hundreds of used cars together with exclusive services to address the demands of every group of customers.

It is expected to generate an additional Bt1 billion to strengthen the performance of Thai Rent A Car, the firm said.

Car Go CEO Thanabodi Chinwattanaporn said Car Go targets to achieve 2,000 car sales per year, worth up to Bt1 billion.

He added that the bank had met its first-quarter target for increased approval of hire-purchase loans, and is optimistic that the year-end target of Bt450 for all outstanding hire-purchase loans would be met.

Currently, the bank has a 30-per cent share for hire-purchase loan values in the marketplace, Pompet said.

The deal supports Thailand’s electrification goal of 1.2 million units on the road by 2036 and will provide Nissan Leaf owners in Thailand international-standard charging facilities with Delta’s quality standard of service, certified by Nissan.

“Nissan Motor Thailand is committed to helping drive an electric-vehicle Nissan Leaf vehicle ecosystem in Thailand for the benefit of our customers, and Thai people, by supporting a greener future through electric mobility,” said Ramesh Narasimhan, president of Nissan Motor Thailand.

“To ensure this, we are honored to welcome Delta, one of the world’s leading power supply producers and thermal management solutions providers, on board to join us and drive Thailand toward an all-electric vehicle future.

“We believe an even more exciting future lies ahead through the goal of electrifying Thailand. That has already started through deals like the one here today with Delta and our recent ground-breaking collaboration with Thailand’s Metropolitan Electricity Authority that brings home charging options to ensure the proper infrastructure is in place for Nissan Leaf customers,” he said.

The partnership is supported by a Frost & Sullivan report which found that, for Thai consumers, having convenient and flexible charging options was one of the top three motivating factors to purchase an EV in Thailand.

As such, this deal gives access to Delta’s comprehensive EV charging and site management solutions already available to EV drivers in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia.

In addition, the exclusive partnership comes as the Nissan Leaf, the best-selling EV globally with more than 400,000 vehicles sold worldwide, started shipping to Thai customers this month.

“We leverage our core competencies in power conversion and management to develop and install world-class charging solutions for the global EV community, and now in Thailand. Owners of the all-new Nissan Leaf in Thailand can now confidently take to the roads supported by our safe and efficient charging solutions and localised service,” said Hsieh Shen-yen, president of Delta Electronics Thailand.

The agreement directly seeks to help pioneer green transportation in Thailand by giving consumers more options, allowing easier EV adoption.

For home and workplace charging, the Delta AC EV charger (7.36kW) will be available, and public charging stations will be serviced by Delta DC Quick EV chargers (50kW).

Nissan is also making the Delta AC and DC EV chargers available at 32 certified showrooms nationwide, while Delta will also provide onsite survey, installation and after-sales services.

“This is an important first step in Thailand, for Nissan to build electrification infrastructure to support lowering carbon emissions. We are confident that this joint effort will meet the requirements of our valued customers as they look to buy a full-battery EV, and create confidence and peace of mind about the many charging options available to them,” Nissan Motor Thailand’s president explained.

“Delta is excited to collaborate with Nissan Motor Thailand and to encourage EV adoption, that leads the country’s vehicle electrification. We believe in forging the most effective partnerships for a sustainable future that benefits every stakeholder and delivers on our brand promise of ‘Smarter. Greener. Together.’,” Delta Electronics Thailand’s head added.

The all-new Nissan Leaf, which launched at the “Thailand International Motor Expo 2018” for delivery in May this year, is the best-selling electric vehicle in the world with 25-per-cent global market share and the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, the company’s vision to transform the way people drive and live.

The new e-powertrain gives the new Nissan Leaf 110kW of power output and 320nm of torque, improving acceleration and driver enjoyment.

Delta’s EV chargers come with a three-year warranty, nationwide technical support and free charging-box replacement under warranty.

The six new Ranger variants fit across the lineup, including one Wildtrak, one XLT, and four XL and XL+. Customers now have a choice of 26 different Ranger variants in Thailand, including the off-road, high-performance Ranger Raptor.

“The expansion of our Ranger lineup further strengthens our offering in Thailand, and helps ensure that our Ranger customers are able to choose a model that perfectly complements their work, or their lifestyle, and often times both,” said Wichit Wongwatthanakan, managing director of Ford Thailand.

The British auto maker, owned by China’s SAIC Motor Corporation, plans to launch its first EV in Thailand next month. The ZS compact EV will be the first fully electric compact crossover to be sold in the Kingdom when it is officially launched on June 20.

Prior to the signing of the MoU signing, MG producer SAIC Motor-CP Co Ltd and distributor MG Sales (Thailand) Co staged a seminar titled “EVolution of Automotive” to shed more light on electric mobility and opportunities for the Thai automobile industry in regard to electric vehicles.

The event featured seven guest speakers from organisations including the Ministry of Industry, the Thailand Automotive Institute (TAI) and MG Motors.

Adisak Rohitasune, acting president of TAI, said that as much as 50 per cent of the expected 2.5 million automobiles produced in Thailand by 2030 will be EVs (up from the current 1 per cent), consisting of HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles), PHEV (plugin hybrid electric vehicle), BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles).

“Meanwhile, they will also achieve level 3 autonomous driving abilities in a range of 5, which means they can run in automatic mode in several conditions including highways,” he said.

While the local automobile industry was built under the model of manufacturer and suppliers (tiers 1-3), the structure will change dramatically in the future with digital-based companies replacing ramp-down suppliers of fading technologies, Adisak said.

Siriruj Chulakaratana, deputy permanent secretary at the ministry, said Thailand is gearing up for EVs and autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the significant changes that await the automobile industry, ranging from electrification to data management and communications as well as vehicle sharing.

“In the future, vehicles will also come with AI (artificial intelligence) that would connects a car to other vehicles as well as to a larger fleet and the city network,” he said.

Amorn Sapthaweekul, deputy CEO of Energy Absolute PCL (EA), said the company has built more than 400 charging stations around the country, with more than 200 already in operation.

While normal charging might take hours via a 44kW standard charger, EA also offers quick-charging services with up to 150kW of power, allows a vehicle to be fully charged in just 15 minutes.

“Currently we charge Bt50 an hour for charging PHEVs, but in the future, when there are more BEVs, we will start charging by electrical power units,” Amorn said.

Apart from the two major auto shows – namely the Bangkok International Motor Show in April and the Thailand International Motor Expo in December (with combined sales of almost 100,000 units) – auto exhibition and sales events on a smaller scale are held in between. These shows offer buyers not only new models but also specially crafted sales promotions during the low season.

The FAST Auto Show Thailand is one such popular event that’s held during the midyear period. This year the event takes place from June 26-30 at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Bitec).

Asadavuth Asasappakij is the vice chairman of the organising committee (which is chaired by his father and well-known auto critic Pattanadesh) responsible for the used-car division. Aside from the 2,000 or so orders that are expected to be placed for new vehicles, a further 1,000 is expected to come from used-car sales.

“Actually our show started off as a used-car show, but over the years our surveys shows that visitors want new cars to be included too, so they can compare which is the better deal,” says Asadavuth, 41.

With his father being an auto critic, Asadavuth often followed his parents to motoring events like test drives and car launches as a youngster.

“I enjoyed it because it was better than staying home alone. I got to go out to nice places all the time, and in many cases I also earned some pocket money, for example by working as an official at rally events,” he says.

Asadavuth continued his studies in Australia, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

“At first my plan was to get a master’s in human resources, but the English-language requirement was a little higher than my average, so I switched over to a middle-of-the-road international business degree,” he says.

Initially, Asadavuth did not plan to return and help run the family business. “I planned on opening a restaurant in Australia, but my mother asked me to come back to help,” he says.

While the proverb “like father, |like son” may come to mind, Asadavuth says there are differences in his case.

“I like cars, too, but not in the same way as my dad – he’s from the old generation and is interested in repairing and maintenance. But for me, I enjoy the technology and I’m more interested in how a car drives, how it handles,” Asadavuth says.

Asadavuth’s family business includes V.A. and Sons Co Ltd (media), Advanced Activity Co Ltd (events), Autocar Magazine Co Ltd (syndicate) and King of Auto Products Co Ltd (joint venture with Inter Media Consultants for organising the FAST Auto Show).

Behind the wheel, there’s one experience in particular that stands out for him. He recalls the time he took a driver’s training session with race driver Natthavude Charoensukawattana after deciding to work in this field full time.

“Prior to that I always thought I was a pretty good driver, everybody does,” he reminisced with a chuckle. “I was driving a Nissan Tiida compact car, and after two laps at the Bira Circuit in Pattaya, Nattavudh told me that I was lucky that I was still alive. He said I had loads of courage, but no skills.”

Blending in with the automotive crowd was super easy for him, though. “As a kid, I was used to being at car events all the time and I knew practically everyone,” he says.

“So when I came back from Australia and entered this field, there were familiar faces to see, including you and others. It’s like working with friends and family.”

SUBARU has been gaining ground in the Thai market thanks to a wider range of products that suit the market, such as the Forester Crossover.

What’s more is that the Forester is now assembled in Thailand at the Tan Chong International Limited (TCIL) plant in Ladkrabang, with production of 6,000 units during the first year. Markets in which the Thai-assembled Forester will be sold include Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The new Forester is priced from Bt1.33 million to Bt1.45 million for the top 2.0i S (ES EyeSight) version I drove during the past weekend.

The 2019 Forester is an all-new model, although when you see one on the road it’s not easy to tell the difference compared to its predecessor. Compared to its rivals such as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5 and the Nissan X-Trail, the Forester might seem a bit bland, but to be frank, exterior design isn’t usually the strong point of Subarus. While older models had pretty unique designs, more recent models have lost that character and started to blend in with the crowd.

The Forester is based on the Subaru Global Platform, boasting a 40 per cent improvement in torsional rigidity, 50 per cent lower vibration plus improved steering precision.

There are LED headlights, LED foglamps (with jet washers) and LED tail lights, as well as roof rails and a rear spoiler. While the ground clearance is a standard 220mm, which allows off-roading, you don’t have to climb up to get into the cabin. Getting in and out is almost as easy as for a normal passenger car.

The interior looks modern enough and the slim A-pillar offers good visibility, but also feels very Japanese. There are control buttons everywhere, which needs some getting used to (the dozens on the steering wheel are just the beginning), but I like the shape and size of the sporty steering wheel. The seats are pretty sporty, not the comfy type like in the CR-V. Apart from the usual air vents, rear passengers get two USB ports and 3-zone seatback pockets good for smartphones and gadgets.

There is 520 litres of luggage space as well as enough width to store a golf bag across it. There are hooks for keeping stuff in place, as well as switches for folding the back seat. The tailgate is powered, which makes life easier.

The centre console has a special display on top for the time, air-con settings and various vehicle information, while the eight-inch touchscreen below comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus navigation (which didn’t work well compared to Google Maps on my smartphone).

While other markets get the 2.5-litre engine with 185hp and 239Nm, Asean markets get the 2.0-litre engine capable of producing 156hp and 196Nm offering lower fuel economy. But you can expect a hybrid version in the near future.

Engine performance is pretty mediocre even with the CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), and you hear a strange and nagging whine during hard acceleration – it sounds like an aircraft before take-off. Not much audible enjoyment from the boxer (horizontally-opposed) engine here.

What the Forester does well is handling. While rivals come with automatic all-wheel-drive, which means that they normally run with front-wheel-drive, the Forester gets a full-time 50-50 symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. In tough conditions, particularly while off-roading, the Forester will have an edge over the competition too. The Special X-Mode system offers driving configurations for snow (sand), mud and dirt.

The suspension (front strut and rear double wishbone) and steering setup, in addition to full-time all-wheel-drive, provides for a nice road performance, although there is a lot of noise when going over ruts and other undulations. Brakes are vented discs both front and rear.

The EyeSight active safety system uses two cameras with functions such as automatic emergency braking (front and reverse), lane-keeping assist and variable cruise control.

The new, locally assembled Subaru Forester might not appeal to everyone due to its design, but surely more people will be interested thanks to the improved packaging and performance.

Subaru Forester 2.0i S ES (EyeSight)

Engine: 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve

Displacement: 1,995cc

Bore and stroke: n/a

Compression ratio: n/a

Max power: 156ps/6,000rpm

Max torque: 196Nm/4,000rpm

Transmission: CVT

Ratios: n/a

Final drive ratio: n/a

Average fuel economy: 12.6km/litre

Average CO2: 183g/km

Suspension (f/r): McPherson strut/double wishbones

Steering: powered rack-and-pinion

Turning circle: n/a

Brakes (f/r): Vented disc/vented disc

Dimensions (mm)

Length: 4,625

Width: 1,815

Height: 1,730

Wheelbase: 2,670

Track (f/r): n/a

Weight: 1,545kg

Wheels: 18-inch alloys

Tyres: 225/55 R16

Ground clearance: 220mm

Fuel tank capacity: 63 litres

Price: Bt1.45 million

According to a recent press release, the new company aims, in the long term, to support the Thai automobile industry, while contributing to the economy under the government’s “Thailand 4.0” policy.

The official announcement was made at the “2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation” held on April 25 in Beijing, which drew more than 40 heads of state, while over 5,000 representatives from 150 countries and 90 organisations were also present.

Gong Yue Qiong, president of Foton Motor Group, and Noppadol Chearavanont, vice president for Industrial Businesses at CP Group, signed the contract to set up a joint-venture company for production, sales and marketing automotive technologies.

“The new joint-venture company will receive support from Foton Motor in terms of commercial sales, automotive energy products and production technology, as well as onboard communications systems technology,” Noppadol said.

“Meanwhile, CP Group will be responsible for establishing customer relations, financing and creating an impressive experience for target customers regarding midsized trucks, heavy trucks, light-duty trucks, buses and modern passenger cars,” he added.

Both companies will contribute to further investment in the production of various Foton models such as the Auman and Aumark, and AUV buses for the Asean market.