TOKYO: BMW AG and Audi AG will skip this year’s Tokyo Motor Show, leaving Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz as the only major foreign luxury carmaker to showcase its models in Japan’s biggest industry event.
Audi parent Volkswagen AG, Peugeot SA and Volvo Cars will also be absent this year, according to organiser Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (Jama). In the past, the companies were regular participants of the show, which will be held from Oct 24 until Nov 4.
But Mercedes won’t be alone among foreign participants. Renault SA and Alpina would be attending the biannual show, according to Jama.
The waning interest comes in spite of imported-car sales rising in Japan. They climbed 4.3% last year and more than 30% in the past decade, according to Japan Automobile Importers Association figures. But Japan has long been losing appeal from carmakers, especially since the 2008-2009 financial crisis. US carmakers such as Ford Motor Co. haven’t returned since, according to Jama.
A Volkswagen representative said the group has no new models to showcase for the Japanese market and this year’s absence doesn’t mean that it will continue to skip the event. A BMW representative couldn’t immediately comment.
