Bangkok, Thailand – Chevrolet paved the way for the celebration of the 100-year anniversary of General Motors with a memorable exhibition at the 29th Bangkok International Motor Show held last March 28 to April 6. GM Philippines took yours truly, along with four other Philippine motoring journalists, to Thailand to see what Chevrolet has lined up for its next 100 years.
“This is a remarkable year for us at GM and Chevrolet as we celebrate the company’s 100-year anniversary this coming September,” announced Steve Carlisle, president of GM Southeast Asia Operations Limited and Chevrolet Sales Thailand. “Throughout the history of our organization, GM has been a leading pioneer in the automotive industry and we continue to push the boundaries when it comes to meeting the demands of the next hundred years. The Bangkok International Motor Show will provide a glimpse of what motorists from Thailand and the rest of the ASEAN region can expect to see from Chevrolet in the months and years to come.”
During the Bangkok show, Chevrolet introduced the Colorado CNG, the first pickup truck in Thailand that runs on compressed natural gas, underscoring GM’s global commitment to alternative fuels and the Thai government’s stated objective of encouraging the development and application of all forms of alternative energy to reduce the consumption of petroleum fuels and to lower emissions.
The Chevrolet Colorado CNG was developed in response to increasing demands within the Thai market for alternative fuel choices in light of sky-high gasoline prices. The 2.5 liter Colorado CNG operates on a dual-fuel injection system which runs on a mixture of 65% CNG and 35% diesel. This optimizes fuel efficiency and economy since CNG currently costs only 8.50 baht (roughly P10.00) per kilogram, one third the cost of diesel. Moreover, all Chevrolet diesel vehicles can be safely run on B2 and B5 bio-diesels at the flick of a switch without any harmful effects. An added benefit is that CNG is one of the cleanest burning fuels available today. With a much higher octane rating than gasoline, it generates no black carbon emissions and very little soot, making it a very clean fuel.
Currently, CNG is available at 160 filling stations around Thailand but if one is unavailable when needed, an orange light on the dashboard will light up and the vehicle will automatically switch over to pure diesel without affecting the engine. The Colorado CNG’s 70 liter (9.1 kilogram) pressurized CNG tank is positioned conveniently at the rear bed of the truck.
As part of the GM’s centennial celebrations, Chevrolet also launched a special Centennial White Edition of the Chevrolet Captiva during the Bangkok show. The company announced that 200 special units of the Captiva Centennial White Edition will be finished in a coat of Metallic Pearl and fitted with a matched side step bar. It is available exclusively on the LT version equipped with either a 2.4 liter gasoline engine or a 2.0-liter diesel engine.
Chevrolet also exhibited 18 other vehicles in addition to the two featured models, including the Chevrolet AVEO, Optra, Optra CNG, Optra Estate CNG and the original Colorado. “Both the Colorado CNG and the special edition Captiva proved to be attention-grabbers at this year’s motor show,” declared Carlisle. “They are the perfect vehicles to complement our already vibrant product line.”
The Chevrolet Pavilion in this year’s Bangkok Motor Show was noticeably brighter and was designed specifically for the upcoming centennial celebration. The pavilion was designed not only to reflect the continual development and innovation for which GM has become famous over the past 100 years, but also to symbolize the direction GM is intending to take over the next century.