These milestones have made 2017 the most successful 12-month period for all of BMW Group Thailand’s three business units – with BMW Thailand in particular posting the highest growth rate across BMW’s global network at 43 per cent year-on-year, according to a company press release on Thursday.

On the global level, BMW Group remains the world’s number-one premium automotive company after recording the best-ever annual sales for the seventh year in succession in 2017, growing sales by 4.1 per cent across the year to a total of 2,463,526 vehicles.

This success was spread throughout the company, with BMW and Mini brands achieving new all-time high figures with 2,088,283 BMW vehicles delivered, growing by 4.2 per cent year-on-year and 371,881 Mini vehicles delivered to customers around the world, 3.2 per cent higher than in 2016. BMW Motorrad achieved a seventh all-time sales high in succession in 2017 with a total of 164,153 BMW motorcycles delivered worldwide, an increase of 13.2 per cent on the previous year.

Stefan Teuchert, President, BMW Group Thailand, said “In 2017, we have once again achieved our targets across the three brands of BMW, Mini and BMW Motorrad. In addition to the highest growth rate worldwide for BMW in Thailand, we also saw remarkable success with plug-in hybrid vehicle sales rising by 269 per cent year-on-year, and it is a trend that we expect to continue in the foreseeable future thanks to consistently increasing demand. Likewise, BMW Group delivered more than 100,000 vehicles from the BMWi and BMW iPerformance range worldwide in the past calendar year, delivering yet another proof that our forward-looking technology is the right direction for motorists around the globe.”

A total of 10,020 BMW cars were delivered to Thai customers in 2017, a robust increase of 43% from the previous year and the highest growth recorded for the year across all of BMW’s global operations. The year drew to a close with BMW Thailand also posting their best ever December numbers with 1,422 BMW cars delivered within the month.

Mini sales in Thailand rose by a healthy 11 per cent year-on-year to reach 1,010 deliveries for 2017, while BMW Motorrad had its sixth consecutive year of double-digit growth with 2,001 motorcycles delivered in 2017 – up 10 per cent from the previous year. Both brands joined BMW in setting end-of-year records with Mini delivering 168 cars for its best December since 2015 as BMW Motorrad reached a new high of over 300 deliveries in the same month.

With the number of customers expected to double this year, the new parts distribution and PDI centre will be opened in mid-2018. Audi is hiring more staff as well as carrying out overseas training in order to ensure the highest quality of customer service.

Wallop Chalermvongsavej, Audi Thailand’s vice president, head of after sales, said one of the main objectives for the company is to create the highest level of customer satisfaction in after sales and in introducing new models to the market regularly.

“We have gone ahead in fully upgrading our after sales service with sizeable investments for technology in order to achieve Audi AG standards,” he said. “We are prepared in terms of personnel, equipment, tools and genuine spare parts in order to give our customers a great experience every time they visit the facility.”

Since the Audi Thailand showroom and service centrer was officially opened in March 2017, a large number of Audi Thailand customers as well as Audi customers from the previous importer and independent importers have come to service their vehicles here.

“We partnered with Siam Autobacs, operator of Japan’s No 1 one-stop car service centre, the Autobacs, and sole operator, with a licence to expand in Thailand,” said president and chief executive Pitak Ratchakitprakarn.

“This latest branch offers world-class products and services that cater to our customers’ every need through various touch points, including a Maxmart convenience store and Punthai Coffee. We plan to roll out 240 Autobacs branches within five years – 135 stand-alone and 105 at PT service stations.

“At the same time,” he said, “the company will continue to widen PT gas-station coverage in Bangkok and vicinity from 107 branches, and increase our proportion of income from benzene sales. The proportion has grown from 24 per cent in 2013 to 28 per cent in 2017.

“Our company only offers quality products and services, while working to maximise privileges for our 7.7 million Max Card members and introducing new products and services to cater to everyone’s needs. This year, customers can expect at least two or three new offerings in our PT service station.”

Pitak called Samut Prakan “a high-potential area”.

“We believe Autobacs will be a perfect solution for comprehensive automobile services. Importantly, this partnership marks a great beginning in future endeavours for differentiated services and strong sustainable growth in the coming future.”

“The Ranger’s toughness, capability, smart technologies, design, fuel-efficiency and comfort allow it to continue setting the industry benchmark in the region and globally for mid-size pickup trucks,” said Ford Asia Pacific vice president Mark Ovenden.

Sales in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam represented full-year records.

Thailand was Ford’s best-selling Ranger market globally.

The Ranger also finished 2017 as the best-selling pickup in Vietnam, Taiwan, Cambodia, Myanmar and New Caledonia, and was the top-selling vehicle overall in New Zealand for the third consecutive year.

“The Ranger is integral to our business in Thailand and across Southeast Asia,” said Yukontorn “Vickie” Wisadkosin, president of Ford Asean. “The versatility and durability of this segment-defining pickup continues to attract a wide range of loyal Ford Ranger customers.”

Sudkhet Chanchalia, general manager of MMS, said the new branch, located on Vibhavadee-Rangsit road, will help raise the total customer service capacity to 70,000 vehicles per year.

He said the company also plans to establish new branches in the Thon Buri area as well as inner Bangkok, concentrating on offering one-stop automotive services.

Featuring a “Customize Your Ride” theme, the event will showcase a unique collection of bikers and their apparels, motorcycles and accessories.

“This year of festival is greater and better than ever due to celebrate the 10th anniversary and 16 world renowned motorcycle brands will join this year – Harley-Davidson, Triumph, BMW, Ural, MV Agusta, Indian, Victory, Royal Enfield, Husqvarna, Benelli, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Honda, BCM and Zero Engineering,” said Nattapon Trinathy managing director of organizer Cycle Culture Show Co Ltd.

He said there will be over 40 brands of motorcycle riding gear along with a large number of accessories and custom products from Thai and foreign companies. In total there will be 90 booths with clearance sales and special promotions.

Speaking in a Tuesday phone interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun during a trip to the United States, Saikawa said by fiscal 2022, about 40 per cent of its sales in these important markets would be electrically powered vehicles. Nissan, whose Leaf electric vehicle has sold well, is seeking to expand its share of the electrically powered vehicle market by accelerating the introduction of the cars.

Electrically powered vehicles would make up “30 percent of sales in China in fiscal 2022 and about 20 percent in the United States,” Saikawa said.

Nissan is planning for one-third of these sales to be electric vehicles, with the remaining two-thirds to be models with motors that run on electricity generated by the engine.

The transition to electrically powered vehicles “will not happen because of environmental regulations; it will be because customers will find value in these vehicles,” he said, citing convenience and other favorable factors.

Saikawa also revealed that almost all new vehicles for Nissan’s luxury Infiniti brand would be electrically powered starting in fiscal 2021.

On Monday night, Honda Automobile Thailand Co Ltd announced in an e-mail to Thai media that Honda has maintained the Thai No 1 position in passenger car market for the third consecutive year, with sales of 127,768 units.

However, at Toyota Motor Thailand Co Ltd’s (TMT) annual press conference yesterday, TMT president Michinobu Sugata said Toyota was the |passenger car champion in |2017 with sales of 86,606 |units.

The difference between the two figures lies in the inclusion of SUVs such as the CR-V, HR-V and BR-V in Honda’s passenger car tally.

Toyota executives have over the years, insisted that those vehicle be included in the commercial vehicle segment as they are not classified as passenger cars but OPVs (off-road |passenger vehicles) and included in the commercial vehicle market.

Meanwhile, in the commercial vehicle market, Isuzu, formerly the top commercial vehicle brand in the country before it was overtaken by Toyota, has regained its crown with sales of 160,550 units in 2017.

Toyota suffered a 10 per cent decline in commercial vehicles sales last year, with sales of the Hilux Revo pickup not moving as swiftly as planned; it finished |in second place with 133,458 units.

Nevertheless, Toyota is still Thailand’s largest auto maker and, in total, produced 240,137 vehicles in 2017 (down 2 per cent), followed by Isuzu with 160,550 units (up 12.1 per cent) and Honda with 127,768 units (19 per cent).

Sugata, who is also managing officer of Toyota Motor Corp, said the market growth in 2017 came from the government’s economic stimulus packages, which resulted in growth in gross domestic product (GDP) of 3.9 per cent.

He said the Thai auto market had bottomed out last year after four years of decline.

“The outlook for the domestic auto market in 2018 has become more favourable from the 3.9 per cent increase in GDP, as well as investments from the public and private sectors compounding with confidence among consumers that will result in growth for the market and the introduction of new products from each manufacturer,” he said.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“We foresee that the total automobile market in 2018 will reach 900,000 units, a 3.4 per cent rise from 2017,” Sugata said.

He also said Toyota will expand investment towards localising production of hybrid batteries, along with new model introduction.

“Starting with the C-HR to be introduced here soon, we will offer more options of hybrid models in the near future,” he said.

“The C-HR is a funky subcompact SUV/crossover with a 1.8-litre petrol engine or a hybrid powertrain priced from Bt979,000 to Bt1.159 million.

Toyota had received approval from the Board of Investment and concluded a memorandum of understanding with the Excise Department concerning hybrid vehicles.

Toyota is also the largest auto exporter from Thailand. Last year it shipped out 299,385 CBU vehicles worth more than Bt159 billion, along with OEM and parts worth over Bt65 billion.

Accumulated sales reached 1.424 million units, from an overall market of 1.816 million.

This represented a year-on-year increase of around 4 per cent for the company.

For the big-bike segment, Honda also achieved top position with 12,900 unit sales from a total market of 29,600 units.

The company also announced a new campaign, “What Stop You?”, covering the four challenges it will meet this year in being a sustainable organisation, and introduced two new models – the All New Honda Super Cub and the Honda CB300R.

Yoichi Mizutani, president of AP Honda, said: “This year, we expect the Thai motorcycle market to grow to 1.87 million units, while Honda should reach approximately 1.48 million unit sales. Meanwhile, the big-bike segment is expected to grow continuously to 34,500 units, while Honda projects our sales will reach 15,700 units.

“This year, Honda is planning to introduce 10 new models, including hybrid and electric models, to the Thai market.”

Vice president Suchart Arunsaengroj said: “Market leadership will only drive us forward, under the Vision 2030 statement to ‘serve people worldwide with the joy of expanding their lives’ potential’ and ‘lead the advancement of mobility and enable people everywhere in the world to improve their daily lives’.

“This year, we aim to create new Honda DNA to meet the changing environment, society and technology. Committed to improving our business in all aspects while maintaining the quality of Honda products, we initiate a new campaign – ‘What Stop You?’.

He said the first challenge is to introduce new products and new technology.

The second is to introduce a new business – Cub House, a flagship store which will provide customers with the new experiences of Honda’s unique lifestyle and values.

The first branch is expected to be opened in the Ekkamai area by the end of March, with 10 in total planned by the year’s end.

The third challenge is the creation of a new application for two-way communication and a CRM channel to enhance current service.

The final challenge is to set the new standard for Honda Wing Centre, by rearranging and zoning the current showroom to be more pleasant and convenient for visitors, Suchart said.

“It is now coming to the stage with the rapid advancement of self-driving technology that this request is now a reality,” Chao said on the sidelines of the Detroit Auto Show.

“So we will view the petition carefully and responsibly.”

GM on Friday unveiled the Cruise AV, an autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals, announcing it had asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to exempt it from a number of federal standards that cannot be met with a driverless car.

GM executives have said they planned to introduce a large-scale fleet of self-driving taxis by 2019, a timeframe some analysts consider ambitious.

GM released images of the Cruise AV and video of the interior with a strikingly spacious windshield devoid of a steering wheel.

“It’s quite a striking image when people see it for the first time,” GM president Dan Ammann told AFP on the sidelines of a GM event Saturday.

“I think people will want to engage with the technology and understand it and experience it,” Ammann said.

“But I think what’s really most powerful about what the technology can offer is an increase in safety on the road. And once people understand that and see and experience it, we think the adoption will be there.”

“Its hard to generalize” about whether the public is ready for autonomous cars, Ammann said. “Some people are more than ready. And other people will be watching and seeing how it evolves.”