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No more new petrol (benzine) pickups in Thailand ?


pop3

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A friend of mine has a petrol (benzine) Toyota Vigo 4x4 2.7 automatic. I think this vehicle would suit my needs fine so I decided to go into Toyota and order a new one, I was told by the staff that a petrol Vigo is no longer available unless you go for a bottom of the range manual gearbox model, it seems that the petrol option Vigo was taken off the list the same time the petrol Fortuner.

Does anybody know of ANY ( new ) petrol engine pickups for sale in Thailand now ?

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Ford still have one on their price lists, but it's a low trim level as well.

The question is, why do you want gasoline? I can only imagine it's for conversion to CNG? Either that, are you're some kind of sadist, LOL :)

You also mentioned the Fortuner.. Mitsu still sell 3.0L V6 gasoline version of the Pajero Sport, but that engine option is not available in any Triton models. You can however get a 2.4L CNG version of the Triton, in high trim levels. Samiitr do OEM CNG conversions for the Hilux VIGO, but the base car is only available in low trim-levels.

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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

Think you should do a lot more reading. Go for a ride in a modern diesel truck (Toyota). Diesel is around 25% lower in price than gas and the diesel ride will do more MPG and have more power..............coffee1.gif

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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

"having a noisy clattering engine ?" So, you've already decided to buy a Ford then!

If you have a diesel and a petrol engine the same size, same power output, in a vehicle the same weight the diesel will return 20+% better fuel economy. i all comes down to the combustion process.

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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

"having a noisy clattering engine ?" So, you've already decided to buy a Ford then!

If you have a diesel and a petrol engine the same size, same power output, in a vehicle the same weight the diesel will return 20+% better fuel economy. It's all down to the combustion process.

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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

Think you should do a lot more reading. Go for a ride in a modern diesel truck (Toyota). Diesel is around 25% lower in price than gas and the diesel ride will do more MPG and have more power..............coffee1.gif

Yes there's plenty comments around but their personal comments not solid factual evidence, I agree a diesel may have more bottom end grunt under certain circumstances but talking purely financial about fuel cost I am yet to be convinced that running a diesel nowadays is cheaper than petrol.

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There are some "modern' diesel trucks out there (New Ranger,Mazda),that will give you excellent fuel economy and smooth ride + much more power compering to a petrol engine....try them smile.png

Last decent run in my 2.2 diesel Ranger I got 1100km's from the tank of 80 litres.

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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

Think you should do a lot more reading. Go for a ride in a modern diesel truck (Toyota). Diesel is around 25% lower in price than gas and the diesel ride will do more MPG and have more power..............coffee1.gif

Yes there's plenty comments around but their personal comments not solid factual evidence, I agree a diesel may have more bottom end grunt under certain circumstances but talking purely financial about fuel cost I am yet to be convinced that running a diesel nowadays is cheaper than petrol.

Hmm,up to you.. smile.png

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I think I should make it clear I am not against having a diesel engine, although I do like a nice quiet engine this post is not meant to be about slagging off diesel or slagging off petrol as there is for and against both engines, what I'm trying to find out is why are there no petrol options on pickup trucks in Thailand now when in the past there was ? knowing the Thai people like cheap fuel like LPG it seems strange that the only pickup you can buy now is a diesel.

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pop3, you seem to like petrol motors but there is factual info on Diesel vs Petrol fuel consumption avalable. The Australian standard fuel consumption site is one example: http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au

Hilux 4 door 4x2 5MT 2.7L = 6.8 km/L city to 11.2 km/L Highway = 5.4 - 3.3 baht/km on E10 gasohol @ 37bht/L

Hilux 4 door 4x2 5MT 3.0L = 9.3 km/L city to 15.2 km/L Highway = 3.2 - 2.0 baht/km on Diesel @ 30bht/L

Your actual consumption may be different but the relative comparison should still be valid. Petrol engines in heavy vehicles like the Hilux are much more expensive to run unless they are on LPG or CNG.

The 3.0L Toyota diesel is a very good engine and relatively quiet by Jap diesel standards. If you have not already done so, try one.

My guess is Toyota do not bother with an upmarket Hilux with the 2.7L petrol engine because flash truck buyers prefer the better performance of the diesel. The comparison was different with older models because the diesel performance was not as good before the advent of common rail fuel systems. The cheaper model pickups with petrol engines and LPG / CNG still have a market for business and other buyers more concerned with keeping fuel cost down.

Edited by Jitar
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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

Think you should do a lot more reading. Go for a ride in a modern diesel truck (Toyota). Diesel is around 25% lower in price than gas and the diesel ride will do more MPG and have more power..............coffee1.gif

Yes there's plenty comments around but their personal comments not solid factual evidence, I agree a diesel may have more bottom end grunt under certain circumstances but talking purely financial about fuel cost I am yet to be convinced that running a diesel nowadays is cheaper than petrol.

No offence, but you very clearly have never actually done a comparison.

Anyway, looks like you're not going to take anyone's word for it, so suggest you go look up 'greenvehicleguide' on Google, and have a look at some official Australian FE numbers - all pickups there made in Thailand. Note that Australia rates in litres per 100KM, so bigger numbers are worse.

The go have a search for "eppo thailand" so you can see fuel prices. If you can find a Thai reader, read through some of the policy docs there so you can also understand how the diesel subsidy works (hint: extra taxes on gasoline support it).

biggrin.png

Edit: Looks like Jitar gave you one of the links (@Jitar, make lazy/argumentative people work harder pls :P).

Edited by IMHO
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Sorry guys for the late reply, yes I have been reading what people are saying and the very informative post from jitar, it does seem there is a strong case for the prosecution, I cant say I'm happy at the conclusion that the diesel engine appears to be the winner on two grounds really, 1. the engine is noisy compared to its counterpart, and 2. with diesel you do not have the choice at some later stage should diesel prices go up for whatever reason to convert to an alternative fuel such as LPG.

Never mind, life goes on, I will now continue my search looking at diesels from the view point of this forum thumbsup.gif

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Sorry guys for the late reply, yes I have been reading what people are saying and the very informative post from jitar, it does seem there is a strong case for the prosecution, I cant say I'm happy at the conclusion that the diesel engine appears to be the winner on two grounds really, 1. the engine is noisy compared to its counterpart, and 2. with diesel you do not have the choice at some later stage should diesel prices go up for whatever reason to convert to an alternative fuel such as LPG.

Never mind, life goes on, I will now continue my search looking at diesels from the view point of this forum thumbsup.gif

Hmmm,up to you ...and LPG price will go up for sure... tongue.png

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Sorry guys for the late reply, yes I have been reading what people are saying and the very informative post from jitar, it does seem there is a strong case for the prosecution, I cant say I'm happy at the conclusion that the diesel engine appears to be the winner on two grounds really, 1. the engine is noisy compared to its counterpart, and 2. with diesel you do not have the choice at some later stage should diesel prices go up for whatever reason to convert to an alternative fuel such as LPG.

Never mind, life goes on, I will now continue my search looking at diesels from the view point of this forum thumbsup.gif

Diesel engines can be converted to run on up to 50% LPG, and can be converted to run on 100% CNG - though the latter is only currently popular on prime movers.. Chev did sell a CNG Colorado a few years back (based on a 2.5L Isuzu diesel engine), but it only lasted on the market a few months. It as back in the days when almost no-one bought Colorado's though ;)

In any case if you follow government policy, you'll find that it supports the subsidisation of diesel and CNG for transport use, not LPG, not gasoline. The subsidies on LPG were intended for cooking, not cars, and you can expect the exploitation of that to end at any time. Gasoline has had additional levies on it to subsidise diesel for years now, and it would be a brave/stupid government that would change these policies.

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I have both Petrol and Diesel pickups/SUV's. I have also converted Diesel to Diesel + LPG and Petrol to LPG. I have also fitted an add-on Common Rail performance box on a diesel and here are my comments.

Petrol 2.4 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, cost per km 4.8 baht. After conversion to LPG 1.84 baht/km. Performance difference almost negligible, slightly slower at high rpm (it's like a slug anyway). My advice, this is a must do conversion.

Toyota Vigo 4x4 Auto 3.0 Diesel, cost per km 3.2 baht. After conversion to LPG + Diesel 2.7 baht/km BUT the engine which is not very quiet by modern standards becomes a lot noisier, also bhp and torque is increased by about 50%. It would spin the back wheels on dry tarmac when you kickdown at 40km/hr. My advice... don't convert it, it's too noisy.

Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2 Diesel Auto 4x4. In standard guise has 400NM torque and 200 bhp. Adding a 3,000 baht chip-up box to the common rail transforms the pickup. Fuel consumption is down 10%, torque is up 25% and bhp up 20%. These boxes are usually adjustable. I tuned mine for a much higher increase in torque, probably up 25%, I am guessing but maybe 500NM and probably less than the standard 200bhp. In fact there is no point revving it any higher than 3,500 rpm, it flies from tickover and I am using 15% less fuel. Cost per km 2.6 baht. It takes a bit of getting used to avoiding kickdown, the change-ups on full throttle (without kickdown) are about 3,500 rpm anyway. Again, this is a must-do conversion, it's like driving a 4.5 litre diesel and a joy to drive.

There is no comparison between the Vigo 3.0 diesel engine and the Ford 3.2 Diesel. The Toyota drives likes it was designed 20 years earlier.

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I have both Petrol and Diesel pickups/SUV's. I have also converted Diesel to Diesel + LPG and Petrol to LPG. I have also fitted an add-on Common Rail performance box on a diesel and here are my comments.

Petrol 2.4 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, cost per km 4.8 baht. After conversion to LPG 1.84 baht/km. Performance difference almost negligible, slightly slower at high rpm (it's like a slug anyway). My advice, this is a must do conversion.

Toyota Vigo 4x4 Auto 3.0 Diesel, cost per km 3.2 baht. After conversion to LPG + Diesel 2.7 baht/km BUT the engine which is not very quiet by modern standards becomes a lot noisier, also bhp and torque is increased by about 50%. It would spin the back wheels on dry tarmac when you kickdown at 40km/hr. My advice... don't convert it, it's too noisy.

Ford Ranger Wildtrak 3.2 Diesel Auto 4x4. In standard guise has 400NM torque and 200 bhp. Adding a 3,000 baht chip-up box to the common rail transforms the pickup. Fuel consumption is down 10%, torque is up 25% and bhp up 20%. These boxes are usually adjustable. I tuned mine for a much higher increase in torque, probably up 25%, I am guessing but maybe 500NM and probably less than the standard 200bhp. In fact there is no point revving it any higher than 3,500 rpm, it flies from tickover and I am using 15% less fuel. Cost per km 2.6 baht. It takes a bit of getting used to avoiding kickdown, the change-ups on full throttle (without kickdown) are about 3,500 rpm anyway. Again, this is a must-do conversion, it's like driving a 4.5 litre diesel and a joy to drive.

There is no comparison between the Vigo 3.0 diesel engine and the Ford 3.2 Diesel. The Toyota drives likes it was designed 20 years earlier.

Very, very interesting and informative! clap2.gifthumbsup.gif

So, are you saying that the Vigo 3.0 diesel engine, (with its older [aged?] design, like fine wine), drives 'better'? laugh.pngcheesy.gifcheesy.gif

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Thank you for your comments, thing is there does not seem to be any solid factual evidence around on mpg diesel verses petrol ? nowadays with the price of diesel very nearly the same as petrol I cant see the point of having a noisy clattering engine anymore ?

Think you should do a lot more reading. Go for a ride in a modern diesel truck (Toyota). Diesel is around 25% lower in price than gas and the diesel ride will do more MPG and have more power..............coffee1.gif.pagespeed.ce.Ymlsr09gMJ.gif alt=coffee1.gif pagespeed_url_hash=2220208811 width=32 height=24>

Yes there's plenty comments around but their personal comments not solid factual evidence, I agree a diesel may have more bottom end grunt under certain circumstances but talking purely financial about fuel cost I am yet to be convinced that running a diesel nowadays is cheaper than petrol.

Buy a petrol then and be happy with your choice. No point arguing about it. If you don't like the advice given here by a number of poster's, perhaps you needn't have asked?

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I used to think the Vigo had a good engine until I bought the Ford. From what I have read, the Ford uses Piezo-Electric Injectors which are much faster to operate than the Vigo's Electro-Mechanical ones. This allows the engine to be set up much more accurately. The extra cylinder probably contributes to the smoothness on the Ford.

The main difference in driving them (apart from the power) is the Ford is nearly silent and uses less fuel, whereas the Vigo is comparatively noisy. It will be very interesting to see what the Vigo's replacement turns out like.

I do have one niggle with the Ford, with 6 automatic gears it sometimes changes down when you don't want it to.

@thailoht, like people, fine wine can get too old and past it's prime ;-)

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I used to think the Vigo had a good engine until I bought the Ford. From what I have read, the Ford uses Piezo-Electric Injectors which are much faster to operate than the Vigo's Electro-Mechanical ones. This allows the engine to be set up much more accurately. The extra cylinder probably contributes to the smoothness on the Ford. The main difference in driving them (apart from the power) is the Ford is nearly silent and uses less fuel, whereas the Vigo is comparatively noisy. It will be very interesting to see what the Vigo's replacement turns out like. I do have one niggle with the Ford, with 6 automatic gears it sometimes changes down when you don't want it to. @thailoht, like people, fine wine can get too old and past it's prime ;-)

And a ''coke'' goes flat shortly after opening...............whistling.gif

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