The Nissan Nat Autocar Ban Chan showroom-service centre is in Udon Thani.

Nissan claims it is also first Nissan Electric Vehicle (EV) dealership in the Northeast authorised to sell the Nissan Leaf – the world’s best-selling mass-market full Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).

The Nissan Retail Concept aims to improve all aspects of the customer experience, including facility design, service processes and the digital environment.

More than 400 dealerships in 30 countries have already made the change.

Nissan aims to implement NRC at more than 9,000 dealerships in 170 countries by the end of fiscal 2022.

Nat Autocar’s showroom in Udon Thani at the Samprao intersection is capable of servicing more than 1,200 vehicles a month.

It also has a premium paint and body shop that can take up to 400 vehicles per month.

Currently it has a showroom display area for eight vehicles and is servicing 600 vehicles per month. Nissan now operates 182 outlets across Thailand.

In comparison, the automotive market grew 19.5 per cent with a total industry volume (TIV) of 1,041,739 units.

The automaker’s market share also grew to 8.1 per cent, Morikazu Chokki, Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand)’s president and CEO, said in a press conference.

He explained that Mitsubishi’s outstanding performance in Thailand came from an improvement in hardware, including newly designed showrooms.

“Soft skills, such as dealer service and operations, have also been successfully implemented,” he said.

On export, Mitsubishi grew 4.2 per cent year-on-year with combined built-up (BU) and knocked-down (KD) volumes totalling 347,000 units, surpassing earlier projections. At supporting sister plants in Indonesia, Philippines, Russia and Brazil, BU exports were steady and further propped up by a massive 37-per cent growth in KD volume.

In terms of production, Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) registered a significant 11.2 per cent growth, with 444,000 vehicles leaving the assembly lines at Laem Chabang Port.

This year, the Japanese automaker plans to continue focusing on growing market share, bolstered by strong models like the Triton, Xpander and models with minor changes.

“Last year we expected the market to reach 900,000 units but due to the effective economic stimulus measures as well as attractive promotions all year round, the market was able to grow to over 1 million units,” senior vice president Vudhigorn Suriyachantananont said.

In Thailand, the company plans to grow sales by 4.7 per cent to 330,000 vehicles this year. Exports, however, are expected to drop by 5.8 per cent due to weaker markets in the Middle East and Latin America.

Despite several major automakers lowering their production in China due to the China-US trade conflict and shifting it elsewhere, Toyota executives have confirmed they have no plans to relocate Chinese production to Thailand.

While Toyota has big plans to produce hybrid and EV passenger cars in Thailand, it has no plans to introduce the technology to the large number of commercial vehicles that it produces here. The company plans to roll out over 180,000 one-ton pickups and PPVs this year, Vudhigorn said.

“We think the best thing for pick-up trucks is using biodiesel rather than EV technology, which has been found to be effective in lowering emissions in diesel engines,” said Ninnart Chaithirapinyo, who chairs the TMT board.

Last year a total of 1.039 million vehicles were sold in Thailand, marking a growth of 19.2 per cent, added Michinobu Sugata, TMT president.

Almost 400,000 passenger cars were sold in in Thailand 2018, 15 per cent above the previous year, along with 641,616 commercial vehicles, up 22 per cent. Sales of one-ton pick-up trucks, which make up the majority of commercial vehicles, amounted to 447,069 vehicles, rising 23 per cent.

“This is the third time that auto sales have exceeded the 1-million-unit mark in Thailand,” he said. “The Thai auto market grew by 19.2 per cent last year due to the economic stimulus measures from the government that helped raise the GDP level to 4.2 per cent,” Sugata said.

He said this year the market should also reach a million units, “due to clear and ongoing government investment projects, which help stimulate investment from the private sector, as well as introduction of new models into the market.”

Toyota remains Thailand’s largest automaker, and in total sold a combined 315,113 vehicles in 2018 (up 31.2 per cent), followed by Isuzu with 177,864 units (up 10.8 per cent) and Honda with 128,290 units (0.4 per cent).

Toyota is also the largest auto exporter from Thailand. Last year it shipped out 293,940 CBU vehicles worth over Bt154.5 billion (down 1.8 per cent) along with OEM and parts worth over Bt119.2 billion. Thailand is one of the largest production hubs for Toyota worldwide – in total, the company produced 588,939 vehicles in Thailand last year for both the domestic and export markets.

Quick Lane is entering Thailand to meet the fast-growing demand for quality parts, regular check-ups and repair services for vehicles of all brands after warranty coverage.

The provider is known in the auto industry as a “fast fit” business, because it provides convenient and affordable basic maintenance services, such as changing oil, filters, tyres and servicing brakes, suspension/shock absorbers and batteries. Its parts inventory consists of genuine Ford, Motorcraft and Omnicraft parts, which are produced and endorsed by Ford Motor for non-Ford vehicles.

“As the volume of vehicles on Thailand’s roads continues to grow, Quick Lane provides a quick and convenient solution for aftermarket parts and basic maintenance for vehicles of all brands,” said Frederiek Toney, president of Ford’s global customer services.

Launched more than two decades ago in the US, Quick Lane operates more than 1,000 stores around the world, and is further expanding to a number of additional strategic global markets.

Quick Lane is planning to quickly expand in Thailand using a franchise model, with a target of opening 35 locations within this year and 100 nationwide by 2022. This is part of Quick Lane’s wider global expansion strategy, with a focus on greater Asia, including Thailand, China and Australia, as well as Europe, South Africa and the Middle East.

The Quick Lane franchise business model also caters to the Thai entrepreneurial spirit, while providing all franchisees the benefits of start-up support, training, equipment and the expertise of a leading car manufacturer.

“Thai drivers today are increasingly turning to fast-fit centres for their post-warranty, light repair requirements. Our mission is to serve vehicles of all brands, with quick and professional service at reasonable prices,” Warangkana Mayalarp, director of Quick Lane Asean, said.

“We also provide convenience, as no appointment is needed, any day of the year. We ensure the service is completed within two hours, plus our customers receive a complimentary Vehicle Health Check every time they visit a Quick Lane for service.”

Yutaka Sanada, Nissan Motor Co’s senior vice president for Asia-Oceania, said Nissan is looking for a production hub for EVs outside Japan and there is much interest in Thailand.

“I believe that Thailand could be the first production hub for EVs outside Japan for both the domestic and export markets,” he said at Nissan’s 1-million-unit export ceremony at Laem Chabang port on Thursday.

“You can expect Thailand being used as an electrification production hub for both domestic and export markets in the future,” Sanada added. “We are working intensively on this project and will find a chance to announce it soon”.

Nissan had recently launched the Leaf EV in Thailand, and plans to introduce other electrified models such as the Note E-Power to the market in the future.

Last year Nissan increased exports from the Thailand by 19-per cent, and is the fifth-largest auto exporter from the Kingdom.

The company yesterday celebrated its 1-milliont-vehicle export milestone from Thailand, after starting up its assembly line here in 1960. Exports started in 1999 with the Frontier pickup trucks shipped to Australia.

Last year, top export markets from Nissan Thailand were the Philippines, Australia and Japan.

Other export destinations include Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Vietnam, New Zealand, Dubai and Oman.

Nissan has two assembly plants in Samut Prakarn province, capable of churning out a combined 370,000 units a year.

It also opened a regional R&D test centre located next to the Samut Prakarn plants.

“Apart from the long history between Nissan and Thailand, the Thai production facilities are very important to Nissan,” said Antoine Barthes, president of Nissan Motor Thailand Co Ltd.

“The Thai facility is one of the few Nissan factories that export vehicles back to Japan and that shows the high quality of the products being made here,” he said.

“The Thai facility is also the model plant for the Navara pickup around the world.”

Mazda sold more than 75,000 vehicles in the country last year, an increase of 37 per cent over 2017, to achieve a 6.7-per cent market share, the company announced.

It plans to further grow sales by another 5 to 10 per cent this year, said MST president Chanchai Trakarnudomsuk.

“This year the projection for the Thai auto market is 1.03 to 1.05 million vehicles, and Mazda plans to sell more than 75,000 vehicles this year, said Chanchai at a company press conference in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Mazda achieved growth in 2018 despite having no new models that year, but in 2019 the plan plans to launch six new models in Thailand, said Chanchai.

In a year of multiple records, the company said it also enjoyed unprecedented demand for its bespoke creations, and launched the new Cullinan – the Rolls-Royce of SUVs – to international acclaim, the company said.

Reflecting on the company’s performance for the year, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, said: “2018 was a most successful, record-breaking year for Rolls-Royce. We have seen growth in all our regions around the world.

“At Rolls-Royce we are deeply focused on each and every one of our customers and are delivering on their demanding expectations. The Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood is acknowledged and celebrated as a global centre of luxury manufacturing excellence, where our skilled, dedicated team create the world’s finest, most sought-after luxury products. We set a formidable mark in 2018: I am confident it will prove the spur to even greater success in 2019.”

The Americas remained the company’s largest market in 2018. The company said sales also grew across all regions during the year with buoyant customer demand across the model range. Phantom was a major growth driver, flanked by the Wraith and Dawn models.