The sixth edition of the Vietnam Motor Show has taken place against a backdrop of growing enthusiasm for car ownership in the country still know as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and where communist era symbols are visually always present, red flags flutter in the light autumn breeze at every turn. The show is organised by Vietnam Automobile Manufactures' Association (VAMA), and so reserved for the ten companies that assemble vehicles in the country. This meant that the show was quite compact in nature, while it was held in Hanoi, the more gentle-paced city which is the seat of government rather than in the hectic hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City, the commercial capital of the nation. The show was organised by VAMA and the Asia Trade Fair and Business Promotion (ATFA), and took place at the Vietnam Exhibition and Fair Center (VEFAC) which is close to the edge of the attractive and somewhat rustic 'old' quarter. The Vietnamese government wants to develop its youthful national auto industry as a cornerstone towards developing an industrial future for what is the worlds thirteenth most populous nation but there is no worthwhile supplier infrastructure so far and the ten manufacturers who assemble from CKD kits are mostly playing a wait and see game, happy to be establishing a foothold in preparation for future motorisation, which the government expects to kick in around 2020-2025, accelerating rapidly as wages rise and consumers are weaned away from a lifetime riding motorbikes. At present there are around a million cars on the roads and over 25 million motorbikes. Ten years ago vehicle sales had only just nudged through five figures mark annually, they eventually climbed to a record 111,946 units in 2008 and fell just shy of 120,000 units last year. Another obstacle the government has to overcome is to develop the road infrastructure to cope with this change from two- to four-wheels as it is currently geared towards two wheels. Toyota, the world's #1 carmaker, is also the biggest player in Vietnam and the Japanese firm comes the closest to having a genuine production line at its facility as it has several installed several key stages in the process including a fully-fledged paint shop. Toyota also boasts the highest levels of localization with many body panels and frame components being stamped in-house at its plant. Eternal rival Honda is also a big name in Vietnam, it's factory is right next to Hanoi's International Airport, not far from the exhibition halls. Honda has only been selling cars in Vietnam for four years, but it's assembled 18,000 units of the Civic (sedan) and CR-V (SUV) so far, both from CKD kits. Next entry to its expanding model range will be the Thai-built Accord which will arrive CBU early next year. Another Japanese company to have plenty of exposure in Vietnam is Mitsubishi, mainly through its trademark Triton (pick up) and Pajero (SUV) while at the show it also presented a look towards the future via its innovative i-MiEV electric car which is now on sale in Japan and being rolled out in increasing trials in other markets. Suzuki also sells vehicles here though currently it has an all light commercial line-up; it was using the show in particular to test customer reaction to several proposed passenger models. At the premium end of the market Mercedes-Benz dominates the scene; it's been in Vietnam for 15 years and currently assembles the C-Class, E-Class, GLK 4MATIC and the Sprinter LCV locally from CKD kits. It's stand is one of the big draws of press day, not only for the local debuts of the C300 AMG and R300L, but the list of popular national celebrities that it has drawn in as "brand ambassadors" which means that the Vietnamese media's lenses are firmly focused in its direction. Other booths include Mekong Auto, the oldest vehicle maker in Vietnam; it assembles several rough-and-ready LCVs from North Korea's Pyeonghwa Motors (PWC) and its highlight is the Paso, a new 4.5-metre, 1-ton truck in shown several formats including flatbed and refrigerated box van. Mekong Auto is also the Fiat importer and by dint of this fact it also able to display the 500 and Grande Punto although they both arrive fully-built. The U.S. car industry is also represented through Ford and GM with the former handing the new-generation Fiesta it's Vietnamese debut in hatchback and booted formats. Ford was one of the first carmaker's into the country in the mid 1990s and it's locally-assembled line-up includes the Focus (hatchback), Ranger (pick-up), Escape and Everest (SUVs) and the Transit (van). For GM it has a huge array of models on show, some being the legacy of its previous acquisition of Daewoo. It showed off the new Cruze; already on sale in around 75 countries the sedan will arrive CKD from South Korea next year, while it also presented the Orlando crossover concept, the first time its distinctive shape has been seen in many Asian markets.
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VIET NAM Motor Show 2008 - Sexy Hankook tire girls.aviby MRSUHANLONG2,567 views
haha 19. sec. best part
CODYSJERNT 1 year ago 5