At the Auto Expo this year, it’s an E-show all the way

Automakers are pressing the E-button in a big way as they give you a glimpse of the future at India’s biggest motor show.

At the 2018 edition of the Auto Expo, which kicks off later this week in Greater Noida, electric and hybrid vehicles, and smart mobility are the big themes.

It’s also E for ‘Entire Mobility Eco-System’, say the joint organisers — ACMA (Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India), CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) and SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers).

For you will get to see all the pieces that go into the green mobility jigsaw puzzle here.

But it’s also E for engagement. The big guns of the auto world are lining up exciting experiences for consumers using augmented reality, virtual reality, mind games, creative selfie zones, crazy contests, social media platforms and generous give-aways.

Take Maruti Suzuki, which has tied up with Facebook to host a night expo virtually on February 8 from 9.30 pm onwards.

Says RS Kalsi, Senior Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki, “Everyone can’t come to the expo – so we are taking the expo to our consumers. This is our effort to be inclusive.”

A person in the North-East or in Kochi can enjoy the expo as if they were physically there, says Kalsi. But why at night? Research showed Maruti that millennials are hooked to the Internet mostly around 9.30 pm.

India’s biggest car company is also doing an Android experiment to engage with consumers using a mobile phone’s accelorometer, a gyroscope to catch and throw passes. Winners of the flying passes contest could win all-expenses-paid tickets (airfare, hotel stay, etc) to the Expo.

At the venue itself, Maruti is taking forward its “Tranformotion” theme with the tag line of Driving Ahead. So, it will showcase its first affordable electric car – the e-Survivor as well as a hybrid car. The showstopper will be an all-new version of its best-selling Swift.

If Maruti Suzuki is occupying 32 per cent more space at the Expo compared to the previous year, Tata Motors is hogging a whole lot more area.

After all, it’s the Tata Group’s 150th anniversary this year, and the landmark year will find echoes at the Expo ground, where it will occupy 6,000 sq m.

Tata Motors will showcase 26 smart-mobility solutions across its passenger and commercial vehicles. From public transport to personal cars with last-mile connectivity options, emergency response vehicles to commercial utility vehicles, green solutions to cars designed to thrill — Tata Motors will show it all, says a spokesperson.

The curation of the pavilion will reflect the company’s role as a mobility solutions provider in a smart city.

For Hyundai, too, it is a year of celebration as it marks 20 years of operations in India and the Expo will reflect the celebrations. The Hyundai pavilion will also showcase its achievements as the only car maker to have won 5 ICOTY (Indian Car of the Year) awards.

Going with the tag line Experience Hyundai, the Korean major will connect with its young consumers through sports, leveraging on its associations with the BCCI and FIFA, says Puneet Anand, Senior General Manager (Marketing) and Group Head at Hyundai Motor India.

A mind game where you can move a football using VR headsets promises to thrill. Hyundai will also have a special robotic zone, says Anand, where you can watch how the robots weld equipment — for good measure, the robots will dance as well.

The Expo organisers expect over 6,00,000 footfalls between February 9 and 14. With the latest lines of cars, bikes, trucks, and e-vehicle along with motor-sports, heritage cars, an art show involving “cartists”, the attractions are certainly enough for all roads to lead to Greater Noida.