The latest edition of the Bangkok International Motor Show has concluded with a rise in car orders, but a drop in deposits placed for motorcycles.
SET-listed auto show organiser Grand Prix International Plc (GPI) reported the auto show, which ended on Sunday, saw orders placed for 37,769 cars, up 3.3% from a year earlier -- the second consecutive year of growth.
GPI said Toyota had the highest number of car orders -- 6,110 units. Mazda came second with 5,211 orders while Honda was ranked third with 4,910 cars. Mitsubishi and Isuzu were fourth and fifth with 3,019 and 2,715 orders respectively.
In the luxury car segment, orders were placed for 5,055 cars, led by Mercedes-Benz (2,405) and BMW (1,569).
"Sport-utility vehicles represented 30% of the total car orders while the other segments were sedans, hatchbacks and double-cab pickups," GPI chief operating officer Jaturont Komolmis said on Monday.
Motorcycle orders, however, reached only 5,343 units at the latest auto show -- a drop of 9.6%, in line with a bearish local market for two-wheelers, including big bikes. Honda scored the most orders -- 1,274 -- while Yamaha came second with 723 units and Kawasaki was third with 539 units.
Visitors check out new models at the 40th Bangkok International Motor Show, running through Sunday at Impact Muang Thong Thani. (Video by Patipat Janthong)
GPI also reported that there were 6,166 orders for two newcomers manufacturing 100% electric vehicles (EVs).
Mine Mobility, the EV brand of SET-listed Energy Absolute Plc (EA) posted 4,500 orders, but the actual number of orders from the auto show itself stood at 1,000 cars because the company included a taxi fleet contract for 3,500 cars in its total order book.
However, Mine Mobility cars have yet to start production and EA plans to begin delivery in early 2020.
The other EV brand was FOMM, which booked 1,666 orders at the latest auto show.
The 40th Bangkok International Motor Show was held from March 25 to April 7 at Impact Muang Thong Thani. Some 1.6 million visitors attended the 14-day auto show in 2019, down slightly from 1.62 million a year earlier.