The 6th Vienna Auto Show will feature over 400 new car models from 40 brands from Thursday to Sunday in the Vienna International Exhibition Center. Small, fuel-efficient and low emission vehicles are the highlights at this year's show.
Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Mercedes Benz, BMW and other top brands have set up large exhibition areas, even while medium-grade brands and cars are the central theme of the auto show.
Against the backdrop of the economic crisis, rising oil prices as well as green initiatives by the government the general public, auto manufacturers have paid more attention to environmentally-friendly vehicles this year.
Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and even the high-end brand Aston Martin are introducing small, fuel-efficient models.
The Vienna Auto Show is said to have a considerable influence on the small passenger car market in central and eastern Europe. It has traditionally catered to the middle and low-end of the market.
Austria is one of the world's foremost manufacturers of automobile accessories. About one eighth of the national workforce engages directly or indirectly with the automobile industry.
Last year, around 356,000 vehicles were sold in Austria. This was 27,000 or 8.4 percent more than the historical high in 2010.
The car market is expected to cool this year due to weak economic forecasts in Europe and the rest of the developed world. The Austrian Chamber of Commerce estimates only 310,000 small passenger cars will be sold in the country this year.
From this year, the Vienna Auto Show will be held every two years instead of every year.
