Friday, January 29, 2010

Kunka Corporation will launch 2 new motorbikes for the 1st time in Asia at Bangkok Motorbike Festival 2010

Kunka Corporation will launch 2 new motorbikes for the 1st time in Asia at Bangkok Motorbike Festival 2010 to be held during January 28-31, 2010 at the Central World.


For the 1st time in Asia, Kunka Corporation will launch 2 new motorbikes, i.e. premium KTM from Austria, after being granted a sole distributorship in Thailand, and two new CAN-AM SPYDERs (RS 2010 and the latest RT models) from Canada, at Bangkok Motorbike Festival 2010 to be held during January 28-31, 2010 at the Central World. With an investment budget of 50 million Baht, the move is made in response to the growing big bike market of 10-15% and its annual sale target of 80 million Baht. Besides the event, the company will also open a luxury downtown showroom on New Petchburi Road for test rides and after sales services as part of its plan to strengthen brand loyalty and foster its customer base.

Mr. Pisit Kunanantakula, CEO of Kunka Corporation Co., Ltd., reveals today that after the company has rocked the market by importing sport CAN-AM SPYDER motorbikes for sales in Thailand last year, it will press on to create a new phenomenon in the market in early 2010 by launching premium KTM bikes from Austria and two new CAN-AM SPYDERs to serve the needs of niche customers who fancy European-make sport motorbikes at Bangkok Motorbike Festival 2010 to be held during January 28-31, 2010 at the Central World.

“Last year 1.5 million motorcycles were registered. Out of that figure, big bike market was at 13,138, while sport bike was at 10,498. These implied about the same market share of 1%, while it is expected that the two segments will enjoy a growth of 10-15% in 2010 in tandem with improving economy and stability in the local political scene. In addition, the high growth would be due to the fact that the two segments still have a low base and this will be the first year that Thailand starts to implement its AFTA agreement, which will literally bring down import duty to 0% and make the prices of these two bikes more affordable for those who want to own them. As a result, this will stimulate more first-hand bikes into the market to replace those second-hand ones and make us feel confident to set aggressive sale target at 80 million Baht this year.” said Mr. Pisit.

KTM is among the World’s top motorbikes. With long standing records and history, it ranks top in the World’s most extensive product varieties offering approximately 30-40 models in every section, whether street bike or race bike, while the fact that KTM chooses Kunka Corporation as its sole importer and grant its sole distributorship in Thailand to Kunka Corporation from a long list of bidders is a proof that KTM is confident in Kunka’s solid business foundation and sound business management profile.

“We are proud that we are granted a sole distributorship in Thailand. This is a major milestone towards our goal of being the leader in auto innovation. With this initial launch of KTM at Bangkok Motorbike Festival 2010, we will also market TRAVEL ENDURO, NAKED BIKE and SUPER BIKE, which are 690 cc or more street bikes, for the 1st time in Asia and we want all the Thai fans for premium sport motorbikes with exceptionally powerful performance to be the first to witness.” Mr. Pisit further added.

In this event, Kunka Corporation will also launch two new CAN-AM SPYDERs, i.e. RS 2010 and RT models, which are the latest BRP (Bombardier Recreational Product) models from Canada. Besides Thailand, this would also be the 1st official launch in Asia, with special highlight spotted on the RT sport model, which offers a new innovation in auto technology. With its 100 horse power engine, it is strictly produced to ensure luxury quality. It should be interestingly noted that Kunka Corporation also has the exclusive distributorship for CAN-AM SPYDER in Thailand.

As part of its marketing plan to service the two world class brands, Kunka Corporation has invested a budget of 50 million Baht to build up a downtown showroom on New Petchburi Road in addition to its original showroom on Srinakarin Road. The new showroom, which is expected to complete in 2Q10, will include auto exhibits and hi-tech service section in order to provide the best after-sale services to all customers. All of its technicians will be thoroughly trained and equipped with all kinds of service techniques from the two principles to ensure that it is the best and most complete in Thailand.

Talking about distribution channel and after sale service centers for KTM, besides the two showrooms in Bangkok, Kunka Corporation also has a plan to expand its showrooms to the north and northeast within this year. It will focus its activity on event marketing in order to continuously communicate with its targets. In order to cement brand loyalty, it will offer supplementary services and decorative product items; provide a modern design lounge as a social meeting place as well as set up the Rider Club for KTM fans in the near future. On top of those that have been mentioned, it will also implement Customer Experiential Marketing (CEM) strategy to differentiate itself from the rest of the market through aggressive test rides so that those interested could actually experience the performance and feel the power of its engine.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Mercedes-Benz Reveals 2 CKD Models to Start Off the Year 2010

Prof. Dr. Alexander Paufler (3rd from left), President & CEO and the management team of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand) Ltd. welcome Mr. Jaturont Komolmis (2nd from left) Senior Vice President, Grand Prix International Co., Ltd., Mr. Anothai Eamlumnow (4th from right), President of Thai Automotive and Motorcycle Journalists Association and Mr. Pattanadesh Asasappakij (3rd from right) Managing Director, Advance Activity Co.,Ltd. to “Meet the Press” event to announce the company’s performance in 2009 and to introduce 2 CKD models: the new generation S-Class (W 221) and E 300 AVANTGARDE (W 212) at JW Marriott Hotel recently.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Tata Motors wins biggest tally of auto awards so far for this year

After winning the 2010 ICOTY (Indian Car of the Year Award) and the Jury Award at the BS Motoring Car of the Year Award, both for the Nano, the company has won 9 other awards in the ‘CNBC TV18 Overdrive 2010 Awards’, ‘ET-ZigWheels Car and Bike of the Year Awards’, and the ‘Auto India Best Brands Awards’.

In the ‘CNBC TV18 Overdrive 2010 Awards’, the Nano received the Car of the Year Award and the Compact Car of the Year Award.

In the ‘ET-ZigWheels Car and Bike of the Year Awards’, the Nano was once again declared as the Car of the Year. It also won the ZigWheels.com Viewers Choice Car of the Year, Best Design and Best Value for Money Car Awards. The Indigo Manza was declared as the Best Entry-level Sedan of the Year. Tata Motors, as a company, was awarded the 2009 Car Maker of the Year title for its resilience in testing times.

In the Auto India Best Brands Awards 2010, the Tata brand has been declared as the Best Value for Money Brand.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Continental's Emergency Brake Assist on the road to success: another car manufacturer adopts the infrared sensor system

In 2010, another car manufacturer is to adopt the proximity sensor for the Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) city version, developed by Continental and first installed in the Volvo XC60. At city driving speeds, the system's infrared sensor supplies data for automatic brake application to prevent rear-end collisions.


Frankfurt am Main, Germany, September 15, 2009. The international automotive supplier Continental has convinced another European vehicle manufacturer to adopt its proximity sensor for the Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) city version for the prevention of rear-end collisions. The sensor system monitors the road ahead of the vehicle and is networked with the braking system. It automatically applies the brakes if there is a risk of a nose-to-tail collision and the driver either fails to react or his reactions are too slow. Continental supplies the infrared sensor, which monitors the road ahead and detects hazards, and the electronic braking system, both of which are core components.

Preventive intervention at speeds of up to around 30 km/h The risk of rear-end collisions is particularly great in city traffic with its constant alternation between braking and accelerating. 75 percent of accidents recorded by the police occur at speeds below 30 km/h. It is precisely at these speeds, in slow-moving or in "stop and go" traffic, that this sensor system, developed and produced by Continental based on the Closing Velocity (CV) sensor, reduces the risk of a rear-end collision. Fitted level with the inside mirror in the area cleaned by the windshield wiper, this sensor uses three laser beams to scan the road conditions ahead up to a distance of around eight meters. The sensor picks up vehicles which are stationary or traveling in the same direction. If the gap is less than the distance regarded as critical at the current speed, the system applies the brakes automatically.

If the maximum speed differential between the vehicles was 15 km/h, a rear-end collision would be avoided in most cases. And, at greater relative speeds, the severity of the impact would be considerably mitigated. At the same time, the system optimizes occupant protection by providing additional data to the airbag control unit and triggering the restraint systems as required. Dr. Ralf Cramer, President of the Chassis & Safety Division and member of the Executive Board at Continental: "Tailor-made solutions for all vehicle classes and applications are ideals that we make possible with our scalable modules. The adoption of this system by another manufacturer brings us a significant step closer to our 'safety for everyone' target and will prevent numerous accidents and injuries."

With sales exceeding €24 billion in 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, systems and components for the powertrain and chassis, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and technical elastomers, the corporation contributes towards enhanced driving safety and protection of the global climate.

Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. The corporation currently employs approximately 134,000 at nearly 190 locations in 37 countries

The Automotive Group is one of the leading global automotive suppliers. With its three Divisions Chassis & Safety (5.1 billion €, 27,000 employees), Powertrain (4 billion €, 25,000 employees) and Interior (5.9 billion €, more than 30,000 employees) it achieved sales of approximately 15 billion € in 2008. The Automotive Group is present in more than 130 locations worldwide. As a partner of the automotive and commercial vehicle industry, it develops and produces innovative products and systems for a modern automotive future, in which a car accommodates individual mobility and driving pleasure to driving safety, environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency.

The Chassis & Safety Division develops and produces electronic and hydraulic brake and chassis control systems, sensors, driver assistance systems, air bag control systems, washer systems as well as electronic air suspension systems. Its core competence is the integration of active and passive driving safety into ContiGuardฎ. The Powertrain Division integrates innovative and efficient system solutions for vehicle powertrains. The comprehensive range of products includes gasoline and diesel injection systems, engine management, transmission control, including sensors and actuators, as well as fuel-supply systems and components and systems for hybrid drives. Information management is at the very heart of the Interior Division. The range of products includes instrument clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car-entry systems, tire-monitoring systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, climate control systems, telematics solutions as well as cock pit modules and systems."