India’s flagship motor show Auto Expo 2023 has concluded with a record turnout of over 6.36 lakh visitors, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said on Wednesday.
The biennial auto show, originally scheduled to be held in 2022 was postponed to this year due to COVID-19 and it witnessed five global launches, and launching and unveiling of 75 products.
It kicked off with press days on January 11-12 followed by general public days from January 13 to 18, 2023.
“The show saw a turnout of 6,36,743 visitors, which is the highest-ever visitor turnout at Auto Expo,” Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Vinod Aggarwal said in a statement.
The show revolved around sustainable mobility and decarbonisation with thrust on five specific initiatives — ‘Surakshit Safar’ focusing on road safety; ‘Jaivik Pahal’ for promotion of bio-fuel vehicles; ‘Vidyutikaran’ focusing on electrification of vehicles; ‘Chakriyata’ focusing on recycling of vehicles and ‘Gas Gatishilta’ focusing on gas mobility, he added.
The likes of Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors, Kia India, Toyota Kirloskar and MG Motor India led the traditional automakers at the show here.
However, some major manufacturers such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Skoda, Volkswagen and Nissan along with luxury car makers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi did not participate in this edition.
Besides, the visibility of main two-wheeler makers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Co were restricted to their displays of flex fuel prototype vehicles at the Ethanol pavilion.
Electric vehicles hogged the limelight on the first day of the show with the likes of Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Kia, Tata Motors and MG Motor showcasing their futuristic products, while also committing to invest in sustainable mobility.
The expo also witnessed the unveiling of Suzuki’s globally acclaimed compact SUV Jimny in a five-door version for the first time on the second day.
The show, returning after three years having been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, opened with the global premiere of Suzuki Motor Corporation’s concept electric SUV ‘eVX’ which is slated to hit the market by 2025.
On the other hand, Hyundai Motor India launched its all-electric model Ioniq 5 at an introductory price of Rs 44.95 lakh (ex-showroom) for the first 500 customers in the presence of Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan.
Another carmaker Kia India, had also unveiled an all-electric SUV Concept Kia Concept EV9, with plans to invest Rs 2,000 crore over the next four years to scale up its presence in the electric vehicle segment.
Homegrown auto major Tata Motors showcased over 20 products across its passenger and commercial vehicles portfolio, with the highlight being the company’s showcase is the electric SUV Sierra, which is likely to hit the market in 2025, and the EV version of its mid-sized SUV Harrier that is likely to be commercially launched next year.
MG Motor India also showcased its two electric vehicles MG4, a hatchback, and the MG EHS, a plug-in hybrid SUV, while Chinese electric carmaker BYD unveiled its luxury sedan ‘BYD Seal’ at the event.
The commercial vehicles segment also witnessed displays of clean technology vehicles, including electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles from different manufacturers, including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) and JBM Auto.
