The Bangkok International Motor Show is relatively important for our side of the world, as most of the cars that make their debut at this show most likely end up making their way to the Philippines. Here’s a handful of the coolest cars shown off:
Toyota Land Cruiser FJ
All eyes are on the newest and most affordable Toyota Land Cruiser to date, the Land Cruiser FJ. The Thailand-built body-on-frame SUV pops up in the Bangkok International Motor Show before it makes its way to other parts of the world, like the Philippine market, where it’s confirmed to launch later this year.
Riding on the tried-and-tested IMV platform, this, alongside a distinctive boxy retro futuristic design that’s modular and easy to repair, will help keep costs down to make it more accessible to the rest of the market. It has off-road-oriented features like a side-opening tailgate with a spare tire, and lots of black plastic cladding.
The interior is functional without feeling too spartan, with just the right amount of tech inside, with a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster, and an all-new steering wheel with lots of physical controls.
Powering this is the 2.7-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder gasoline engine, the 2TR-FE. This tried-and-tested Land Cruiser engine makes 163 horsepower and 246Nm of torque, and it’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels.
Nissan Kicks
The biggest reveal at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show is the heavily updated Nissan Kicks e-Power. This sports an all-new look outside with sleek LED lights up front with separate three-bar DRLs, a cleaner front bumper, new 17-inch alloy wheels, and sleeker LED taillights with a redesigned tailgate with “KICKS” spelled out.
The interior gets updated with a new dashboard and center stack design, a widescreen 12.3-inch infotainment, new color schemes for the leather interior and Zero Gravity seats, and updated tech, including the addition of ProPilot to its suite of advanced driver assistance systems.
The e-Power drivetrain has been carried over, with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine that charges the 2.06kWh lithium-ion battery. The electric motor drives the front wheels, and it has a combined power output of 136 horsepower and 280Nm of torque.
Isuzu D-Max EV
With today’s crazy prices for fuel, an electric pickup truck like the Isuzu D-Max EV would make a lot of sense. While it looks almost the same inside and out to its diesel-fed counterpart, you’ll only be able to tell it apart with the very subtle blue accents in the grille, headlights, unique alloy wheels, and EV badging.
The biggest change comes in the powertrain, where it’s a dual-motor setup with 190 horsepower and 325Nm of torque that can sprint up to 100kph in 10.1 seconds, and there is a 66.9kWh lithium-ion battery that offers a range of up to 263km on a single charge.
The range is relatively low, but this allows it to match the turbodiesel’s capabilities with a payload capacity of 1,010kg and a towing capacity of 3,500kg. And, fast charging from 10 to 80% can be done in one hour via 50kW DC charging, or 11kW AC charging from 0 to 100% in 10 hours.
Ford Ranger Super Duty
Take a Ford Ranger and beef it up for workhorse purposes, and you get the Ford Ranger Super Duty, which makes its regional debut at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show. Whether you plan to use this for heavy off-roading or work, this Ranger Super Duty can take it thanks to its mechanical updates.
A 3.0-liter Power Stroke V6 turbodiesel motor now produces 210 horsepower and 600Nm of torque, and it’s mated a 10-speed automatic transmission with four-wheel drive. There is a significantly larger 130L fuel tank, a strengthened front and rear driveshaft, rear differential, and a heavy-duty rear axle. This allows the truck to haul and tow up to 4,500kg.
It comes with multiple steel bash plates underneath to protect the engine, front differential, transfer case, and transmission during off-roading. There is also reinforced eight-lug 18-inch wheels and General Grabber all-terrain tires, increased ground clearance of 299mm, alongside beefier bumpers, side steps, and enlarged side mirrors for visibility.
Mazda CX-6e
The Mazda CX-6e finally shows up in the ASEAN region, and this is the second battery electric vehicle that’s a result of the joint venture between Changan and Mazda, the first being the Mazda 6e sedan.
Despite having Chinese DNA, Mazda has had a very heavy say in shaping the experience. The body is very sleek and aerodynamic, with lots of clever tricks such as a front spoiler, wing mirror cameras, and flying buttresses by the D-pillars to help this crossover cut through the air with ease.
The interior has a large 26.45-inch ultrawide display that extends to the passenger’s side, alongside other luxuries like a 23-speaker Dolby Atmos sound system, a full ADAS suite, and seat heating, cooling, and a passenger-side ottoman, to name a few.
The version revealed in Thailand comes in a single configuration, which is a single-motor powertrain with 258 horsepower and 290Nm of torque, and a 77.9kWh battery allows it to drive up to 524km on a single charge.
Tesla Model YL
The Tesla Model Y is a very popular electric crossover, and it recently spawned a three-row, six-seater variant called the Model Y L. This was unveiled in Thailand at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show.
It may look like a stretched variant of the crossover, but it sports unique 19-inch wheels, and the rear end has been redesigned and lengthened. This now accommodates a third row that can comfortably seat two adults, or lots of cargo. The middle row now sports two individual seats that are heated, cooled, and have power adjustments, including hidden armrests.
As for the powertrain, it’s based on the Long Range AWD, meaning it’s a dual-motor drivetrain and it has a 88.2kWh battery that can drive up to 618km of range on a single charge. Plus, you can already get this in the Philippines, as it was launched last March 25, 2026.
Lexus IS
We know that Lexus Philippines will be introducing the updated Lexus IS to the country later this year. The refresh made its debut in the ASEAN region at this year’s edition of the Bangkok International Motor Show. This is yet another facelift of the already decade-old XE30 platform, and it brings a more aggressive and unified look.
There’s a controversial new front grille that extends out to the headlights, and the Lexus logo moves up. It gets new wheel designs on both the standard and F Sport variants, and the trunklid says goodbye to the Lexus emblem, and instead, has the Lexus wordmark spelled out above the taillights.
The interior sees the biggest redesign. There’s a new dashboard to accommodate two new 12.3-inch digital instrument clusters and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, alongside a new steering wheel, climate controls, and air vents, both of which are shared with the GR GT supercar.
In Thailand, the sole powertrain available is the 2.5-liter hybrid, mated to a CVT, and Lexus has improved the driveability with an all-new electric power steering system, enhancements to the adaptive variable suspension, and Lexus Safety Sense+ advanced driver assistance systems.
BMW iX3
The BMW iX3 is the first of many vehicles under the Neue Klasse platform for electric vehicles, and it made its ASEAN debut at the show.
The iX3 has an all-new design language that harkens back to retro BMWs: a horizontal “grille” with a new light signature and vertical illuminated kidney grilles, sleeker and cleaner surfaces, and aerodynamic wheels to help this crossover be as aerodynamic as possible.
The future of BMW cabins can be seen here, with information being spread throughout the cabin with the Panoramic iDrive system. There is a large 17.9-inch center screen and a pillar-to-pillar projection of essential information underneath the windscreen, and that also extends to a heads-up display with augmented reality.
It’s powered by the sixth-gen eDrive technology, with 469 horsepower and 645 Nm of torque, alongside a large 108.7kWh battery pack allowing for up to 805km of range on a single charge. That can be topped up at a quick 400kW rate that allows at least 350km of range to be added during a 10-minute charge.
Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric
The most powerful Porsche on sale right now is the Cayenne Turbo Electric, which has just made its regional debut at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show.
This fully electric super SUV has a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain with 1,156 horsepower and 1,500Nm of torque. It comes with Formula E-derived tech to aid energy recuperation and handling. With a large 113kWh battery, the Turbo can drive up to 623km on a full charge. Charging speeds ramp up to 400kW under specific conditions, and it can charge wirelessly with an 11kW wireless charger.
The Cayenne’s exterior has been smoothed out with clean body lines, hidden charging flaps, andactive aerodynamics, something first seen in the 911 Carrera T-Hybrid. The cabin is just as futuristic, with multiple OLED displays measuring at least 14 inches, an augmented reality heads-up display, and an electrochromic dimming panoramic sunroof.
Honda e:N2
The Honda e:N2 (or Insight in Japan) is a product of the Dongfeng-Honda joint venture in China, which made its regional debut at the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show. This is interesting after Honda announced that it will be cancelling most of the EVs it planned to make, such as the 0-series (Zero) and the Acura RSX.
This design looks very edgy and features striking angles, a fastback crossover silhouette, noise-reducing 18-inch aluminum wheels, and the Honda script at the back, but the new Honda “H” logo is nowhere to be found. The interior is also a lot more minimal compared to other Hondas, resembling the layout of a Chinese vehicle with a small digital instrument cluster, a 12.8-inch infotainment screen, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, and even a fragrance system.
The specifications aren’t final yet, but the Chinese version has 204 horsepower and 310Nm of torque from the front electric motor, and it’s claimed to do more than 500km on a single charge based on the WLTP standard for measuring EV range.
Photos by Sam Surla and Julian Panlilio
