Photo: Tim McKenzie
After reporting last week on the success the German luxury sports car maker was having, selling its automobiles in Thailand, autoevolution attended the Thailand International Motor Expo and found the Porsche brand to be well represented.
Porsche was somewhat tucked in the back of the large trade show hall at the IMPACT Challenger Exhibition Center, just north of the capital city of Bangkok, but its location did not in any way dissuade the crowds from gathering around the German carmaker's impressive showing.
Over the course of our time attending the show, it was obvious how Porsche went about presenting its lineup was a hit with the attendees. By far and away, the Porcshe area had more visitors than any other manufacturer. In fact, people gathered in such numbers around the Porsche stand that one would have to snake their way through to reach other manufacturers' areas.
From a visual standpoint, the Porsche area was not as stunning as others but won the engagement with consumers battle. Most impressive were the polished narratives delivered by models dressed in business-like suits. Clearly, these women did their homework as they spoke in exhaustive detail about everything from the performance characteristics to features and options of the model they were presenting. They did so with such clarity and conviction that it was difficult not to stand and listen while they each took their turn.
It was quite amazing to witness the impact of Porsche's approach to connecting with the public and how it virtually shamed other manufacturers. Others including, Mercedes-Benz, which was very near the Porsche area, simply did not have that 'WOW' factor in terms of delivery that Porsche had, nor were they as engaged as the Porsche folks.
There is no information available to gauge what kind of success Porsche had at the expo, but their salespeople were kept quite busy throughout our time.
As reported on December 7, in 2021, Porsche enjoyed a banner year in Thailand, SE Asia's second-largest market, with sales increasing 56% over 2020. The Taycan EV sold well, but the real star was the hybrid-powered Cayenne SUV that accounted for 70% of the company's sales.
While Porsche stole the show for us and many others, there were other manufacturers that caught our eye. Ford Motor Company for one, had an expansive and visually stunning display, highlighted by a giant screen showing its lineup of electric and gas-powered vehicles on a loop.
China-based Build Yours Dreams, otherwise known as BYD, prominently displayed its all-electric Dolphin and ATTO 3 models. BYD is steadily building a following in Thailand and is looking to expand its manufacturing base in the Kingdom.
Lexus had an interesting approach to introducing consumers to its line of electric vehicles by forgoing a large display area for an indoor test track, where attendees could get behind the wheel and test out the feel of a Lexus electric vehicle.
We were introduced to a new brand of vehicle manufactured by the Chinese-based Hozon Auto called the Neta V – an entry-level electric vehicle that we will report on in more detail shortly.
While there was a myriad of familiar names in automotive manufacturing in attendance, there were some notable absences. Tesla, for example, that just last week launched two models in Thailand, was nowhere to be seen in any form. GM was also missing in action for a company with its global reach, as was VinFast, the Vietnamese manufacturer of electric vehicles and a neighbor of Thailand.
Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki, Subaru, and others were all present and accounted for but nobody came close to giving the impression that the Thai market was an important part of their business strategy going forward in this electric automotive age as Porsche.
Over the course of our time attending the show, it was obvious how Porsche went about presenting its lineup was a hit with the attendees. By far and away, the Porcshe area had more visitors than any other manufacturer. In fact, people gathered in such numbers around the Porsche stand that one would have to snake their way through to reach other manufacturers' areas.
From a visual standpoint, the Porsche area was not as stunning as others but won the engagement with consumers battle. Most impressive were the polished narratives delivered by models dressed in business-like suits. Clearly, these women did their homework as they spoke in exhaustive detail about everything from the performance characteristics to features and options of the model they were presenting. They did so with such clarity and conviction that it was difficult not to stand and listen while they each took their turn.
It was quite amazing to witness the impact of Porsche's approach to connecting with the public and how it virtually shamed other manufacturers. Others including, Mercedes-Benz, which was very near the Porsche area, simply did not have that 'WOW' factor in terms of delivery that Porsche had, nor were they as engaged as the Porsche folks.
There is no information available to gauge what kind of success Porsche had at the expo, but their salespeople were kept quite busy throughout our time.
As reported on December 7, in 2021, Porsche enjoyed a banner year in Thailand, SE Asia's second-largest market, with sales increasing 56% over 2020. The Taycan EV sold well, but the real star was the hybrid-powered Cayenne SUV that accounted for 70% of the company's sales.
While Porsche stole the show for us and many others, there were other manufacturers that caught our eye. Ford Motor Company for one, had an expansive and visually stunning display, highlighted by a giant screen showing its lineup of electric and gas-powered vehicles on a loop.
China-based Build Yours Dreams, otherwise known as BYD, prominently displayed its all-electric Dolphin and ATTO 3 models. BYD is steadily building a following in Thailand and is looking to expand its manufacturing base in the Kingdom.
Lexus had an interesting approach to introducing consumers to its line of electric vehicles by forgoing a large display area for an indoor test track, where attendees could get behind the wheel and test out the feel of a Lexus electric vehicle.
We were introduced to a new brand of vehicle manufactured by the Chinese-based Hozon Auto called the Neta V – an entry-level electric vehicle that we will report on in more detail shortly.
While there was a myriad of familiar names in automotive manufacturing in attendance, there were some notable absences. Tesla, for example, that just last week launched two models in Thailand, was nowhere to be seen in any form. GM was also missing in action for a company with its global reach, as was VinFast, the Vietnamese manufacturer of electric vehicles and a neighbor of Thailand.
Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki, Subaru, and others were all present and accounted for but nobody came close to giving the impression that the Thai market was an important part of their business strategy going forward in this electric automotive age as Porsche.
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