March 23, 2026, Bangkok, Thailand — At the 47th Bangkok International Motor Show, Dongfeng Forthing made a major appearance with its new energy SUV FRIDAY and flagship MPV Xinghai V9, officially showcasing its full-system capabilities for the right-hand-drive market to the ASEAN market under the theme "FOR FAMILY FORWARD." This marks Dongfeng Forthing's first appearance at a major international auto show since holding its brand launch event in Thailand on March 9, symbolizing its substantial leap from "product going global" to "strategy going global."
Thailand's most influential television stations — Thai Rath TV, Nation TV, TNN16, and others — provided full coverage, with numerous authoritative and key media outlets focusing intensively, and dozens of top local influencers arriving early to show their support. The Dongfeng Forthing booth became one of the most closely watched core exhibits at this year's auto show, sparking discussions across all platforms.
Two Models Advancing Together: Defining Products Through Scenarios, Precisely Targeting Thai Family Needs
As Dongfeng Forthing's first right-hand-drive new energy SUV entering the Thai market, FRIDAY is not simply a left-hand-drive model converted to right-hand drive, but has been deeply adapted around the real-world driving scenarios of Thai users. In response to the long rainy season and frequent flooding, FRIDAY has strengthened overall water tightness and wading capability, with the battery pack achieving IP67 waterproof rating. For congested and variable road conditions, the chassis has been specially tuned, with steering sensitivity increased by 21%. It also features an extended-range powertrain system, balancing pure electric commuting with worry-free long-distance travel, alleviating charging anxiety.
The Xinghai V9, with its MPV's spacious interior and intelligent cockpit, targets the upgrading needs of Thai families and business travel. The two models respectively cover the two major consumption tiers of essential and premium, forming a differentiated product portfolio and demonstrating Dongfeng Forthing's simultaneous efforts in both the SUV and MPV tracks.
System-Level Going Global: From Technology Adaptation to Ecosystem Co-Building
Dongfeng Forthing's appearance this time is not merely a display of products, but a concentrated release of its global system capabilities. Leveraging Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor's "Chengfeng Dual Engine" overseas strategy, Dongfeng Forthing is accelerating the construction of a "global technology + local deepening" operating model.
At the technical level, both FRIDAY and Xinghai V9 are built on the EMA modular platform, which covers three major vehicle series — SUV, MPV, and sedan — and is compatible with multiple powertrain forms including pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended range. Its models have obtained ASEAN-NCAP five-star safety certification, with high-strength steel application exceeding 70%. The Mach hybrid engine achieves a thermal efficiency of 45.18%, the 800V high-voltage platform supports charging from 30% to 80% in 14 minutes, and the Armor Battery has passed over 500 rigorous tests — these core capabilities have been fully deployed in production models.
(Speech by Mr. Xie Jiasheng, Deputy General Manager of Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Import and Export Company)
At the service system level, Dongfeng Forthing proposes a landing strategy of "within reach, worry-free throughout, long-term companionship." In the next three years, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor will build at least 100 sales and service outlets in Thailand with partners, shortening the service radius in the Bangkok area to 10 kilometers and increasing the timely service response rate to 100%. At the same time, the company is accelerating the formation of a localized team, promoting key positions to be led by local Thai talent, truly realizing the transformation from "we go global" to "we are a local enterprise."
(Thai media interviewing Mr. Li Songyuan, Overseas Product Director of Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor)
Strategic Pivot: Thailand Becomes the Right-Hand-Drive Global Base
As the large automobile manufacturer closest to ASEAN among Chinese enterprises, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor has deep accumulation in the ASEAN market. Its commercial vehicle brand "Chenglong" has been deeply cultivated in ASEAN for over thirty years, achieving sales of 11,057 units in the ASEAN market in 2025, ranking 2nd among Chinese brands in heavy and medium truck sales. Its passenger vehicle brand "Forthing" entered the ASEAN left-hand-drive market in batches in 2022 and officially entered the right-hand-drive market in March 2026. Thailand is positioned as Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor's global strategic base for right-hand-drive vehicles, a showcase for technology localization, and a touchstone for brand going global.
In 2025, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor's annual exports exceeded 53,000 units, a year-on-year increase of nearly 30%, with 9 overseas smart factories, nearly 300 sales and service outlets, and business covering more than 120 countries and regions.
In the next three to five years, Dongfeng Forthing will continue to launch more right-hand-drive exclusive models, comprehensively covering the three major vehicle series of SUV, MPV, and sedan, while simultaneously advancing multiple powertrain forms including pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended range. At the localized manufacturing level, Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor plans to co-build a smart manufacturing plant with partners in Thailand, promoting a deep transformation from "product output" to "ecosystem co-building."
The Path from "China Smart Manufacturing" to "Global Trust"
Xie Jiasheng, Deputy General Manager of Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Import and Export Company, stated at the auto show: "We don't want to be just a 'sales player.' Our vision is to become a 'reliable partner for global family mobility' and a 'practitioner of the transformation from Made in China to Created in China.'"
From the founding of the factory in 1954 to now completing the full-chain layout in the Thai market from brand launch to product landing, channel deployment, and ecosystem co-building, Dongfeng Forthing is leveraging over seventy years of automotive heritage, taking "technology inclusiveness, scenario deepening, and system synergy" as the core pillars of global competition. In the ASEAN market dominated by Japanese brands and contested by Chinese brands on the same stage, Dongfeng Forthing is writing a new chapter in Chinese automobiles going global with a pragmatic approach.
Deeply cultivating Thailand, aspiring globally. Starting from under the spotlight of the Bangkok Motor Show, Dongfeng Forthing is taking technology as its foundation, users as its core, and ecosystem as its wings, allowing the craftsmanship and warmth of "China Smart Manufacturing" to accompany more families toward a better future.
