Jitar

Naturally aspirated diesel pickups died in the early 2000's. They were gutless but extremely reliable due to no turbo, SOHC 8 valve heads and mechanical fuel injection. Perfect for a farm truck, but not good on the road at speed, due to the lack of power. Finding these trucks in good shape might be difficult now. The newer generation trucks (mid 2000's +) all moved to Turbo intercooled diesels with common rail fuel injection, DOHC 16 valve heads etc. These are a lot more expensive to repair than the earlier generation, however they have double the power, so perform a lot better on the road. My experience with mid to late 2000's pickups from Toyota, Mitsubishi, Isuzu and Ford (Mazda B series based Ranger) was good, they were all pretty reliable, at least up to 10 years old.

Some new Tesla Hi performance variants do not use LFP so it is not just Europeans being behind.

Thai taxes on new cars are complex. The link below shows how VAT, import duty and excise tax etc. are calculated. https://asiabusinessassembly.com/en/imported-cars-in-thailand/ The tax amount is larger than percentage rates suggest and includes tax on tax. However there are some import duty and excise tax concessions for Free Trade agreements and EVs. The BOI detail excise tax rates for different vehicle categories at: https://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=tax_rates_and_double_taxation_agreements In summary, there is a lot of tax on cars, unless a vehicle qualifies for concessions.

The Hybrid versions are also further down in the results from Headlight Magazine. Also worth noting the Toyota electric motor and battery are smaller than the Honda, but the Toyota transmission is mechanically more complex and should allow the petrol and electric power to be combined more effectively over a broader speed range. The Toyota spec sheet states combined power of 122hp, https://www.toyota.co.th/model/corollacross_grsport/specification Honda don't quote a system total power but their transmission is going to limit power close to 131hp from the electric motor at low to medium speed.

Lenso have a couple of 17x7 options with the Mazda 3 bolt pattern. OP would need to confirm the offset is close to OEM. https://www.lensowheel.co.th/product/detail/DRAKEN https://www.lensowheel.co.th/product/detail/d-1rs ENKEI have several models in this size including PF01 https://www.ubuy.co.th/en/product/U0K8C8-enkei-17x7-edr9-matte-black-wheels-rims-5x100-114-3-441-770-0245bk

I'm surprised the Corolla Cross GR Sport feels faster than the HR-V since it appears very similar and uses the same powertrain as the other Hybrid version tested by headlight magazine. YMMV.

If you really want the 18" wheels, you could check with the Honda dealer if they could sell the OEM 18" wheels as an accessory. Alternatively, wheel and tyre shops would be able to sell non OEM / aftermarket 18" wheels and tyres to suit.

Alternatives to Honda HR-V: Toyota Corolla Cross (larger than CH-R), Mazda CX-30 Nissan Kicks Peugeot 2008

The Toyota project is a gimmick, but a multispeed transmission can serve a purpose for some types of EV. Hi performance electric cars generally use more powerful motors running at incredibly high rpm to avoid a multispeed transmission, but that is not a great solution for lower cost models. The Porsche Taycan / Audi e-tron use a two speed auto transmission. Tesla tried to do the same with the original roadster but could not get a transmission that could handle the auto shift. Perhaps they should have tried a manual then?

Quotes from a Internet insurance broker today range between 51 to 75k baht per year for Model Y

I got the same response from the aseannow version. https://chat.openai.com/chat works fine

Yeah like the thousands of cars parked for days on high level expressways and BKK airport parking during the big flood in 2011.

We had several mid 2000's Ford Escapes as company cars in the past because they were great value compared to CR-V etc. at the time. Our Escapes were XLT models with 2.3L 4 cylinder 4WD autos. They lasted pretty well up to 250 - 300,000km with no major engine or trans issues. I remember only a few minor electrical issues with driving lights, tailgate lock mechanism and one MAF fault. They handled OK but were a bit underpowered. 4WD worked fine and could be locked in, but no low range. No sure how good they would be in flood water. Probably the worst thing about them was the 4 speed auto and not particularly powerful or efficient engine resulted in unimpressive fuel economy, particularly when driven hard. Don't know if Ford made any improvements for the later models.

There are not a lot of rental car options between 7 seat SUVs and 12 seat vans in Thailand like the Toyota Commuter. Even for the commuters, availability can be limited and prices are not much cheaper than a local van with driver. Bizcar do show a Vellfire in their fleet if something fancier is required. https://www.bizcarrental.com/en/our-car/

So smaller versions of the Toyota Commuter / HiAce with 12 seats with or less are classed as private vehicles so OK with a private vehicle (car) license. The pick-up truck wording "vehicle weight of not more than one thousand and six hundred kilograms" is unfortunate. Most modern pickups are heavier than 1,600kg so under this regulation, do not classify as private vehicles! BiB would love that, (if they knew).