Amongst the passenger car brands at the bi-annual Busan International Motor Show (BIMOS) which opened in Korea on June 3 was an interesting mix of heavy and light commercial brands.
Auto Media Group visited the show while on tour with Hyundai Motor Company and managed to sample the unique atmosphere, thankfully unlike the passenger brands, there weren’t a proliferation of models draping themselves all over the heavy commercial vehicles.
As well as Hyundai showing off its latest heavy-duty Xcient 6×4 tractor, as well as the Solati (H350) large van in the minibus and camper format, German brand MAN was also in attendance with a range of its heavy-duty trucks.
A local South Korean company S-Motors had the most impressive stand with
many custom-built Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans and cab chassis on display.
There was a bright yellow Sprinter School bus as well as a low-floor Sprinter city bus.
There were also two
customised Sprinter coaches which we found very luxuriously appointed; one was particularly opulent with a full Captains chair set up and integrated television screen mounted to the bulkhead between the front and rear cabins.
While travelling in and around Seoul, and Busan, we were surprised by the number of European heavy-duty brands on Korean Highways, particularly Scania, MAN, and Volvo, in addition to local manufacturers Hyundai and Tata-Daewoo.
MAN are headquartered in the wealthy Seoul suburb of Gangnam-Gu, which also happens to be home to most of the European and American car dealerships in the city, as well as Hyundai’s Motor studio where prospective customers can order and accessorise their new car.
Pictures: Robert Barry
