It was the automobile junkie’s day out at the The Hindu Auto Expo at Chennai Trade Centre on Friday.
From Tata Nano to a shiny Rolls Royce Ghost, hot wheels of about 15 brands were displayed at the fair, which is open till October 7. A consumer-based platform for vehicle purchases, the expo gave space to 25 stalls of leading brands like BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Toyota, Maruti, Hyundai and Skoda.
Vijay Menon, regional manager of TATA Motors, said, “TATA Motors sells vehicles — from the most inexpensive car, like Nano, to the higher-end Aria. While we have 10-12 products as available options, we have displayed just five to six varieties at this expo.”
Sponsored by Renault in association with TATA Motors and JK Tyres, the expo was inaugurated by Balsingh George, Chairman and Managing Director of Golden Homes. When asked about his personal favourite, he voted for Mercedes SL 600. He said that customers must refine their search and consider factors like affordability, resale value, service support and space for the entire family when purchasing a car.
While a few visitors walked about casually, feasting their eyes on the mean machines, others knew exactly what they were looking for and scrutinised the specifications of the vehicles.
Siddhant Jain, who had come to buy a family car, had eyes for just Mercedes Benz and BMW. “We need the space as well as the comfort. We are also looking at value for money,” he said.
The expo also had a special pavilion for super-luxury cars and super bikes.
