The sixteenth edition of the Auto Expo, the biennial automotive show opened at the India Expo Mart at Greater Noida to the media on Wednesday. While the show will open to the public on Friday, representatives of the Indian and global media were treated to several new launches and a host of celebrities.
The country’s largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki opened the event with their new compact sports-utility vehicle the Vitara Brezza. Hyundai showcased their Tucson, Volkswagen introduced their Tiguan and Honda the B-RV, with motorcycle manufacturers not far behind.
Honda’s two-wheeler division launched Navi, their youth-oriented motorcycle, the first product from their stable costing less than Rs40,000 and Yamaha and Suzuki too launched several models.
luxury carmakers Audi, BMW, Jaguar land Rover and Mercedes were not far behind with major launches, including the Rs2.5 crore second-generation Audi R8 V10.
Several celebrities including cricketers Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood stars Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt, too made their presence felt at various launches. However, the real stars were the sparkling new vehicles on display.
The rush of journalists, both from the automotive media and the general media at some events was incredible with camerapersons tripping over each other to get the best shots of the cars and two-wheelers on display. Mobile data networks collapsed under the intense load of posts being made to the social media.
While some brands were conspicuous by their absence, primarily two-wheeler manufacturers Bajaj Auto and Royal Enfield, this edition of the Auto Expo saw several new entrants, with American brands Jeep and UM Motorcycles being among them.
The India Expo Mart, to which the Auto Expo shifted in 2014 from Central Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, offers manufacturers far more space with this event encompassing a massive 73,000 square metre of exhibition space larger than the 67,000 square metre of space used in 2014.
Several manufacturers have also set up innovative stalls with large-format video displays and fascinating ways for the public to amuse themselves with 360-degree cameras and ways for the younger audience to learn on simulators.
The Auto Expo will be opened to the public on Friday, February 6 and will be open till Tuesday, February 9. The organisers have set up large parking lots and shuttle rides to the venue for the expected rush of visitors over the weekend.