Fulfilling Desires: Are Diesel Engines To Die For In Thailand?

By Gerald Yuen

We spent a good couple of months researching diesel vehicles in Thailand. We now know why they are so desirable and what makes them so appealing in this part of South East Asia (perfect long-range haulers, efficiency etc..), but we are still far from understanding market sentiments and what’s next for this format of internal combustion engine.

New Ranger will continue to dominate Thai roads, along with the D-Max and Hilux

Let’s start with 3 common but important observations about diesel-propelled motors in Thailand, and why they are here to stay in the long term…

*This story excludes external factors such as government subsidies for diesel fuel, which we will touch on in a future article.

Base compact luxury sedans are specced with diesels

Screenshot courtesy of Autolife Thailand.TV

Perhaps the most common sighting when we take a stroll around town will be the sheer number of base-spec German luxury sedans running on diesels. The recently-introduced W206 C-Class comes fitted with a 2-litre turbodiesel that can produce a maximum torque of 440Nm, while BMW’s 320d has a similar engine capacity, but produces slightly less torque at 400Nm, Still, these are big figures compared to base-spec compact luxury sedans in other markets, where some are fitted with 3-cylinder turbo petrol motors. I guess locals value long range usability over outright refinement of petrol motors (at the expense of a torque-lite experience), and I strongly lean towards the former perspective.

Screenshot courtesy of Headlight Magazine

And with this starting point, customers might have the tendency in future to explore higher output diesel units in larger categories, which is why the likes of GLC 250d, CLS 300d (in the case of Mercedes-Benz) are also common sightings on Thai roads.

Mazda equips their top-spec 2 with a diesel

You get to choose 4 petrol variants, and 1 top-spec powered by diesel

Call us weird, but having a top-spec compact hatchback from a Japanese manufacturer equipped with a diesel motor sounds like a match made in heaven. Lightweight, torque-laden, and efficient almost sounds too good to be true. We are very eager to try the top of the range Mazda 2 XDL, but we have an inkling that this experience will exceed what paper numbers might suggest. At THB799,000, it is far from cheap (you can get a top-spec Vios for that money although the current model will be phased out very soon), but you get the drift - plonking a diesel motor that can churn out 250Nm and yet achieve 26.3km/l on the combined cycle is a winning recipe.

Big 31% price difference from base to top spec. Screenshot courtesy of Headlight Magazine

Pickup trucks dominate Thai roads

5 Hiluxes for a starter. Dig deeper into sub-variants and we'll get lost...

Having not left the country in 2.5 years (and counting), you’ll start to notice the locals’ sheer affection for pickup trucks - Ford’s Ranger, Isuzu’s D-Max, Toyota’s Hilux - they are literally everywhere! No surprises considering that truck registrations take up 40% of the entire vehicle population - a staggering statistic. And this results in a race to build powerful, reliable diesel engines that can withstand the test of time, even when they are not used to propel cars.

Sales figures for H1 2022 - D-Max sprinting way ahead as usual! Screenshot courtesy of Headlight Magazine.

400Nm are just baseline figures - these motors are bulletproof, unapologetically unhygienic and thankfully brimming with character. A modified 3-litre D-Max on a post-tollbooth sprint will be met with a massive puff of soot - never have masks been more relevant, apart from Covid!

Always something for anyone, work or play

I visited the Isuzu booth at a recent motor show and the salesman gave a run down of variants available for the D-Max. I got confused halfway but it wasn't his fault. Having to run through no less than 50 variants (I kid you not!) of the D-Max is no easy feat. 2 diesel variants (1.9 and 3-litre), single / dual cabin, rear wheel-drive / 4x4, load capacities, trim levels etc.. - these configurations add up to almost endless tinkling. Which brings us to the point that the popularity of trucks literally fuel the existence of diesels in Thailand.

*Shout-out to Khun Palm from Isuzu Srinakarin for his excellent command of English during his 5-minute pitch!