At least 15 automobile brands, many providers of a wide range of support industry products and services, banking and insurance firms are participating in the 5-day Vietnam Motor Show that opened on October 23 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Le Duong Quang, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, said the show has brought to Vietnam the latest auto models and environmentally-friendly technologies. It has also aided local automobile producers in their efforts to increase their made-in-Vietnam component ratio.

The exhibition, one of the most prestigious and awaited events of the year for the automobile industry, focuses this year on products which are convenient, economical, eco-friendly and user-friendly, organisers said.

They said the show is also a chance for auto brands to offer a range of services and sales promotions to boost the Vietnamese automobile industry.
The exhibition, which covers nearly 9,000sq.m at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7, includes many booths with impressive products and interesting interactive activities.

Toyota Motor Vietnam is showing off its product line-up including special editions of six favoured models, putting forth a more youthful, sporty image while stressing additional safety equipment.

Concept vehicle Toyota Fun-Vii heralds a not-too-distant future where people, cars and society are interlinked.

The most luxurious Toyota brand name, Lexus, will officially be imported into Vietnam very soon. Five of the top Lexus models are on display at the exhibition.

Meanwhile, Mercedes Benz celebrates its "vision accomplished" concept with 18 cars, the largest fleet at the Motor Show, including newest line-ups.

The company has announced that it has already met its 2013 sales target despite the sluggish state of the market.

At the BMW booth, visitors can see numerous hi-end technologies that have been integrated into models like the BMW 4 Series Coupe and BMW5 Gran Turismo.

Suzuki, meanwhile, introduces its Swift "star models" that it hopes will contribute to making it stand among the 10 passenger carmakers in the world.

Well-known auto accessory brands like Michelin and Robert Bosch are also participating in the show.

Michelin, 120-year-old French tyre manufacturer for the first time introduces their Primacy 3 ST product for both medium and big automobiles at the show.

Organisers expect to attract 150,000 visitors this year, compared to 120,000 in 2012, as September’s auto sales rose by 24 percent over a month earlier and 28 percent over same period last year to 9,785 units.-VNA