Locally assembled cars and the range of electric vehicles (EVs) offered by Mercedes-Benz were the main attraction during the 17th Dhaka Motor Show at the Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center on Friday.

The show, which ran from May 23-25, was organised by CEMS-Global.

Rancon Motors was showcasing Malaysian brand Proton's X70 model, which is assembled in Rancon's hi-tech industrial park, while Meghna Automobiles Ltd (MAL) was displaying two cars under South Korean brand Kia, the 1,500cc Seltos and 1,600cc Cerato.

Yasir Quader Abedin, head of marketing of Rancon Cars Ltd, said the locally-assembled five-seater was launched in Bangladesh on the first day of the motor show.

He added that the compact sports utility vehicle was available for pre-booking at a special price of Tk 36 lakh and would come with a warranty of five years or 150,000 kilometres, whichever comes first, along with six free after-sales services.

Genuine spare parts will also be ensured at authorised service centres in Dhaka and Chattogram initially.

Meanwhile, MAL was aiming to provide brand-new passenger cars at a lower price than it would cost to import.

Mridul Hasan Ridoy, manager at MAL, said the price of both the Seltos and Cerato price came down to Tk 43 lakh from Tk 50 lakh after local assembly started.

However, he said they could not start selling locally assembled cars as they are yet to receive the go-ahead from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority.

Ridoy added that MAL may assemble Kia's popular Sportage model in the future, saying: "It is in the pipeline."

He added that their aim was not to sell cars at the show but to showcase locally-assembled vehicles.

Rancon also showcased four EVs of Mercedes Benz's EQ series, with prices ranging from Tk 1.95 crore to Tk 2.95 crore.

Haval of China, Mitsubishi of Japan, and MG of the UK also displayed their latest models.

Farhana Yasmin, a senior executive of Rancon Motors, was in charge of the MG stall and said they had three models on display -- the MG HS, MG ZST, and MG 5.

She said they were offering MG HS at Tk 46 lakh and MG ZST at Tk 36 lakh. The turbo-equipped MG 5 was selling for Tk 38 lakh while the non-turbo variant cost Tk 34 lakh.

Yasmin added that three units had been booked on the first day of the fair.

Besides, the 8th Dhaka Bike Show, 7th Dhaka Auto Parts Show, 6th Dhaka Commercial Automotive Show, and 1st Electric Vehicle Bangladesh Expo were held simultaneously.

Meherun N Islam, president and group managing director of CEMS-Global USA & Asia-Pacific, said the Dhaka Motor Show and related exhibitions were one-stop platforms for motor enthusiasts and businesses in the auto industry.

According to her, the show will play a helpful role in the progress of related sectors and also enhance Bangladesh's image in the global market.

Various brands from 17 countries, including Japan, India, China, Malaysia, and South Korea, and over 175 companies participated across all the events.