You just can’t miss it!

The 10th auto expo at Pragati Maidan will be world's largest in terms of footfalls, say organisers

You just can't miss it!

The 10th Auto Expo at Pragati Maidan will be world's largest in terms of footfalls, say organisers

There will be an extended pilgrimage for car lovers, makers and buyers next year.

If the estimates are any indication, the automobile extravaganza will be the world's largest in terms of footfall. It is expected to attract over 1.8 million people in just five days.

Recession is past and global automobile giants have been lining up to book their place at the expo. According to the organisers, they have got overwhelming response from participants, as every inch of space at the 16 halls of Pragati Maidan has already been booked. This apart from the 17 hangers and the open space of 1,25,000 square metres.u00a0 The organising committee is facing difficulties in accommodating all requests due to space constraints and last minute negotiations are still on.

Though Tata Nano is expected to be the show stopper, but for the first time an auto expo in India will see global launches by auto majors Honda, Toyota, Ford and Volkswagen AG.

Showtime

The 10th edition of the exhibition will see over ten global launches and about 2,100 participants from 30 countries showcasing their products.

"There will be more than 10 global launches which go on to show how the Indian market is gaining importance for global auto makers. We are very pleased with the response," said Rajiv Kaul, chairman of the auto show.

Although the Detroit Motor Show is starting (January 11) immediately after Delhi Auto Expo, still global auto makers will showcase their final and concept products here as "nobody can avoid" the Indian fair, he added.

Director General of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers Dilip Chenoy said the expo will "possibly be the largest in terms of footfalls", while it could be third biggest after Frankfurt and Shanghai in terms of participants.

Elaborating on participants, Kaul said about 800 would be international exhibitors, including from Canada, China, the US, France, Germany, Myanmar, Pakistan and the UK. It will be a jump of 40 per cent compared to last Auto Expo in 2008.

Kaul said the auto fair, which witnessed order bookings worth Rs 1,000 crore in 2008, is expecting its revenue to grow marginally.

Though the exhibitors are yet to open their cards, as they want to keep it a secret but some of the automakers, who will showcase their new products are Maruti Suzuki, General Motors, Toyota and Honda.

Newcomers

Though there are still 12 days for the motor extravaganza to begin, the air is rife with speculation and enthusiasm for the new launches lined up during the auto expo. Honda has announced it will unveil a "New Small Concept" car at the show. The car is expected to be built in India and Thailand and will be sold in the emerging markets. In addition to the New Small Concept, the company will exhibit the CR-Z Concept 2009, a concept model for a new hybrid model, which was unveiled for the first time at the Tokyo Motor Show in October this year.

Perhaps for the first time anywhere in the world, Toyota Kirloskar Motors will unveil a product outside Japan when it showcases the small car specially built for India and other BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) markets.

Though production will begin only by the end of 2010, this car is expected to be showcased in both, hatchback and sedan versions. Toyota will display 14 production and concept vehicles, including its low-cost compact car, at the expo.

Volkswagen AG, which has perhaps become the world's largest car maker after acquiring Porsche, is expected to launch the Polo compact which may also have a sedan version on display.

Ford, the only American carmaker to have survived the global recession without government intervention, will also unveil its trump car for India, the Figo compact, at the seven-day motoring extravaganza.

India's largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India, is expected to showcase the first completely indigenously made small car though it would be launched much later in 2012. Car major Maruti Suzuki will launch a new family car Eeco, with a 1,200-cc petrol engine in the under-Rs 4 lakh segment.

Auto-matic

>>Auto sales were up 12% in October
>>India's largest car maker, Maruti Suzuki India reported 66.57 per cent jump in its total sales at 87,807 units during November. The company had sold 52,711 units during the same month last year.
>>Exports surged by over two-fold to 11,448 units from 5,007 units in the year-ago period
>>Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the country's second largest car manufacturer and the largest passenger car exporter, registered record cumulative sales for the month ending November 30, 2009. The cumulative sales accounted for 55,265 units which reflect a 28.5 per cent growth as compared to last November.
>>The domestic market was the biggest gainer as it almost doubled its sales to 28,162 units this month registering a growth of 92.8 per cent over the same month last year. The exports however showed a slight decline as it fell by 4.6 per cent as compared to the same period last year. In September, 2009 HMIL had clocked cumulative sales of 53,802 units which had been the highest till now.