Volkswagen, Skoda And Audi Could Skip 2018 Auto Expo

Volkswagen India will not participate in the upcoming 2018 Auto Expo, sources close to the company have told carandbike.com. The next Auto Expo is scheduled to take place in February and it's not just VW India that might give it a miss. Volkswagen Group which includes Audi and Skoda might also not be part of the expo. Apart from the VW Group, other manufacturers including Bajaj Auto, Royal Enfield, General Motors, Ford and Nissan could also skip the upcoming Auto Expo.

The 2018 Auto Expo is organised by the industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) along with CII, and is held in Greater Noida around 25-30 km away from Delhi. Over the years, several manufacturers have opted out of the Expo for a number of reasons. Skoda India skipped the expo during the last edition as well and it won't be surprising to not see the manufacturer at the next edition. Bajaj too was quite vocal about its absence from the 2016 Auto Expo, stating that it was a platform for new and lesser known manufacturers to showcase its work.

While several manufacturers may not participate in the next edition, there will also be a host of new carmakers that will be showcasing products for the first time. This includes South Korea's Kia, China's SAIC as well as French automaker Peugeot. Apart from these, existing carmakers including Honda, Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Hyundai, Hero MotoCorp, TVS among others are expected to continue its association with the expo. In the luxury space, it is likely that Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and BMW will showcase products next year.

That said, most manufacturers are yet to officially confirm participation at the 2018 Auto Expo. The biennial event witnesses a host of new products and concepts emerging for the Indian market and only gets bigger and better every year, recording a larger number of footfall as well.