5 Cars We Would Buy At Thailand’s Big Motor Sale 2022

It almost seems like yesterday when we went to a car exhibition at Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) - it shows the frequency of such events, even though they are still headlined by the major shows at Impact Challenger, namely Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) typically held in March, and Thailand International Motor Expo towards year-end. But take nothing away from “smaller” scale events as manufacturers do take advantage of this platform for regional, or even global launches. In this year’s edition of Big Motor Sale, we got to see Honda’s new 7 seater, the BR-V, Toyota’s new Vios (or Yaris ATIV in Thailand) and Subaru’s latest range of WRX. So what caught our eye this time round?

If Looks Could Kill: Volvo V60 Recharge (PHEV)

There’s something about Volvo’s estates that spells utter desire, even more so than Audi’s Avants in my opinion. Nestled in a quiet booth in comparison to a jam packed Toyota stand you could almost sense a subtle aggression just by looking at their fleet of cars. Their design is not showy, but instead elegant and timeless just like Volvos of yore. The highlight for us will be the V60 Recharge plug-in hybrid. For 320d money you can get a fast Volvo estate with a 2-litre motor, paired with a 18.8 kWh battery (backed up by 8 years of warranty) and AWD, which I reckon will be highly useful for the monsoon season. We’d likely struggle to get 90km of claimed pure EV range, but even half of this figure can get you from South to North Bangkok without a hitch. Specs aside, don't you think that this is a seriously handsome car?

Like A Boss: Mazda CX-8 XDL Exclusive 4WD (6 seats)

When I was researching on the Mazda 2, it was a nice surprise to learn about the range topping variant specced with a diesel (XDL) engine (250Nm of torque in a pint-sized car sounds great). Now that I have my eyes peeled on any Mazda fitted with a XDL engine, what other tricks could they pull off? A 6 seats option (2 individual seats) for the 2nd row in the top-spec CX-8 - a highlight for me, and will certainly draw stares from an Alphard-loving nation. Mazda calls it “Captain Seat Lounge”, and rightly so - the 2nd row’s business class style armrests are fixed, extremely well-padded and would not look out of place if they are used as dividers for the driver and front passenger. The third row of seats can fold totally flat, leaving a gigantic boot space to ferry 4 adults for any occasion. Being the newest model it took the main stage in Mazda’s booth this time.

Enjoy Them While We Still Can: Subaru WRX & WRX wagon

Perhaps the most exciting performance car-related launch of the show was reserved for the new WRX. Sure, WRXs have grown to accommodate a larger audience with stacks of safety features and grown-up looks (a far cry from Subarus 2 decades ago), but there are still hints of boy racer nostalgia like the air scoop that feeds air directly to the top-mounted turbo intercooler and boost meter reflected on the instrument cluster. There’s still a decent amount of grunt to play with - 275BHP and 350Nm should be put to good use, more so when they are managed by one of the kingpins of all-wheel drive technology. We’d pick the 6-speed manual version and forgo WRX stitching and automatic seats. I mean, we should still be glad that a manual variant is offered! *The WRX wagon only comes with CVT, but it does look very, very sleek. Notably the omission of black plastic fender arches for more cohesive, cleaner lines.

Small Wonder: Suzuki Swift GLX

Wait, the Swift is not new and it is not laden with tech, so why is this on our list? Walking past the Suzuki booth, flanked by other big brands especially Honda made us realise how fitting the Swift is for local tarmac. It might not win in terms of paper specs, but it aces all departments when we talk about relevance. Short overhangs, a short wheelbase and decent visibility are ingredients for an effortless time behind the wheel on narrow Bangkok streets. At THB637,000, it does not come cheap (you can get a near-top-spec new Yaris Ativ at this price), but this is a classic exercise of less is more, bucking the trend of bigger is better and rewards are very evident.

Silent Killer: Honda Civic e:HEV EL+ / RS

At first glance, this might be just a regular Civic with a new bodykit and minor tech upgrades. But upon closer inspection we’ll realise that this is the first time Honda is pairing a 2.0-litre engine with e:HEV tech (2 electric motors). The numbers at least on paper are very promising - 315Nm in total and a 0 - 100km/h sprint in less than 8 seconds. And it still manages 25km/l! I have not come across a family-oriented car that can achieve both ends of the spectrum - relatively big go-fast figures and Altis Hybrid-rivalling economy. For 20% more than the Altis Hybrid, is it worth the additional performance boost? It’s a tough call, but if you do not need to stretch your dollar we’d suggest opting for the Civic Hybrid.