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Cars galore for boys
The future: The Toyota FCV Plus features a futuristic, eye-catching design
The future: The Toyota FCV Plus features a futuristic, eye-catching design. (Courtesy of Toyota)
For most men, cars are not just a form of transportation. They are also a source of joy and can be an important part of a man’s soul.
The Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2016 is not only the biggest auto show in Southeast Asia but also the biggest exhibition of expensive toys in the form of well-polished designer cars.
With 361 booths, including 31 that belong to some of the world’s biggest automakers, the GIIAS 2016 features dozens of new cars and more than 10 concept cars that look as if they were taken straight from a futuristic movie.
The theme for this year is “Green Technology for A Better Future” and the auto show does not disappoint in living up to the tagline.
Japanese manufacturers, which have the largest market share in Indonesia, introduced several of their ecofriendly concept cars that turn heads at first glance.
The most eye-catching is Toyota’s FCV Plus. This ecofriendly concept car looks like one of the vehicles used by Will Smith in the I, Robot movie (2004).
Boasting dominantly white paint with ocean blue luminescent coloring on its windows, the FCV Plus is a representation of Toyota’s vision for a sustainable society where the main source of energy is hydrogen.
Hard-core: American manufacturer Jeep exhibits a special edition of its Wrangler Rubicon jeep. The modified model was arguably one of the most intimidating yet attractive cars at the GIIAS 2016. (JP/Hans David Tampubolon)
The FCV Plus is a part of a special exhibition series from Toyota at the GIIAS 2016. The series also includes the introduction of a new model in the multipurpose vehicle (MPV) line. The new model is called the All New Calya and represents the spirit of Toyota’s “Let’s Go Beyond” tagline.
“Toyota does not only provide the best products but also products that can fulfill numerous dynamics and needs in accordance with technology development, designs and lifestyle,” Toyota-Astra Motor president director Hiroyuki Fukui said.
Not far from Toyota was the Honda booth, also a leading Japanese manufacturer in the Indonesian market.
Like Toyota, Honda also utilized the GIIAS 2016 to exhibit an ecofriendly concept car called the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. Honda claims that it is the first five-seater sedan to use environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel-cell technology.
The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell does not look like a futuristic car at all. Instead, it looks like a premium sedan with dark red paint. It boasts a bold and aerodynamic look with wide and slick curves on the exterior. With 45.7 centimeter aluminum wheels, the car also looks very sporty.
“The Honda Clarity Fuel Cell lives up to our ‘Advanced New World’ theme for this year’s GIIAS. Through numerous ecofriendly technologies, from a hybrid engine to hydrogen, Honda wants to introduce smarter mobility technology for a better future,” Honda Prospect Motor president director Tomoki Uchida said.
If ecofriendly cars are not your thing, you can check out the booths from some of the American and European manufacturers at the expo.
American manufacturer Jeep arguably boasts one of the best-looking vehicles at the GIIAS 2016, with the Wrangler Special Edition model.
Golden brown with a black carbon-fiber hood, the special edition is a modified Rubicon 3.0. The most significant modification is to the car’s suspensions and wheels, which make it a lot higher as well as enabling it to be driven and parked on literally any surface. For those who like adventures on dirty and flooded roads, this car is a dream come true.
Meanwhile, German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz introduced several new models for its premium segment customers — the New Generation CLA, New GLC, All New C-Class Coupe, Mercedes-AMG C 63, Mercedes AMG, Mercedes-Maybach S 600 and the All New E-Class W213.
“With every new Mercedes, our aspiration is to be one class ahead of the competition. The E-Class truly is the core of the Mercedes-Benz brand,” Mercedes-Benz Distribution Indonesia president and CEO Roelof Lamberts said.
The GIIAS runs until Aug. 21 at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) in Bumi Serpong Damai, South Tangerang, Banten. During the event, the organizer expects to garner at least Rp 5 trillion (US$381.3 million) in transactions.
