Issued: 28.Oct.1997

Exhibitors -Suzuki- Small cars for a bright future is presented at the Suzuki booth In spite of the recession, the interest in vehicles is still high as shown by the large number of visitors to the show. The total number of visitors since the opening day is ahead of the previous show. An unusually large number of couples pushing strollers and people in wheelchairs turned out for the show due to the fine weather. The next generation of compact cars The C2's high-performance engine and compact size get noticed Suzuki The C2, a compact high-performance sports car with a powerful 1.6 liter V8 twin-turbo engine in a compact chassis is the grabbing attention of everybody who visits the Suzuki booth. The theme of the Suzuki booth is "Small cars for the bright future", which stresses a philosophy, confidence, dreams, and originality in Suzuki's strongest field, the compact car. And at the same time, they are focusing these ideas into three concept vehicles suggesting what the future of the compact vehicle should be. One such vehicle is the C2. With a length of only 3.65m and a target weight of 850kg, it inherits and expands the design philosophy of the Cappuccino. In addition, the visitors' eyes were drawn to the C2's power plant which was displayed alongside the car. This little jewel is a 1,600cc V8 DOHC with inter-cooled turbochargers producing more than 250psi. The C2 is a concept car, but it almost looks like a production model. Young people know if it were in the market, it could become the top domestic sports model. The UW-1 is a 1,000cc utility wagon suited for daily use or weekend drives, with maximum possible interior space in a compact body. The CT-1 offers convenient city transportation by combining the hauling capacity of a truck with the functionality of a van and is a zero-emission, low-noise electric vehicle capable of long driving distances thanks to its nickel-hydrogen battery. Both are only reference models. The ultra compact C2 and a high-performance engine The Suzuki booth has a total of 13 reference vehicles, with the rest being production models like the Wagon R and the classically styled Cervo C. As a minicar manufacturer, Suzuki is unable to introduce any new minicars because of the regulation changes coming next October, but this was skillfully handled by successfully exhibiting creative concept vehicles. Exhibitors -Volkswagen,Audi- Bringing high quality 2WDs and 4WDs to the people Volkswagen Typical of the new VWs, the W12 The Volkswagen Golf IV, the fourth generation in the Golf line with significant improvements in quality, makes its Japan debut at this show. The new Passat has been totally revamped, and a new variation called the syncro (referring to its full-time 4WD as Audi does for the quattro) has been added to the Passat line-up. Without prior notice, VW has also exhibited a super sports model called the W12. This fully functional V12 5.6L midship sports car is a must see. Will this become the flagship for VW's push to be a full-line manufacturer or is it a research model for the rumored V12 luxury sedan? Only time will tell. Applause not unusual at the dance performance The most popular attraction at this booth is the dance performance with its eight dancers. Crowds immediately form when this performance starts. Audi With the backing of great sales in Europe, the Audi premium-class boom might just come to Japan now that the full line-up of Audis, from A3 to A8, is finally completed. Visitors to the Motor Show can enjoy several varieties of the quattro (the world's first full-time 4WD vehicle) models for each segment. Especially, the A6's striking silhouette, excellent quality, superb packaging and driving performance are sure to make it a hit. Today 28/Oct 1. Traffic jam early warning VICS test-driving started "Is there a way around this traffic jam?" The VICS (vehicle information and communication system) supported by the VICS center can answer this question. By installing the VICS car navigation system, traffic conditions can be assessed and the remaining travel time required to final destination can be estimated. Test drives, which will run from the 28th through the 31st on an 8km course along side Makuhari Messe to test actual effectiveness, will be conducted using 16 vehicles which will continuously run from the morning. Numbered tickets are available at the VICS booth on the second floor near the end of the Central Entrance Hall. 2. German Ambassador visits the show H.E. Frank Elbe, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Japan, visited to the Tokyo Motor Show this morning. He visited the German pavilion in the North Hall, then walked enthusiastically around all the booths of German manufacturers from the West Hall to the East Hall: BMW, Opel, Volkswagen, Audi, and Daimler-Benz, in that order. After this, he talked with boards of JMIF and mentioned, "I have visited many motor shows in the world, but this Tokyo Motor Show is very impressive because there is a perfect balance between domestic and foreign vehicles." 3. Welcome to The 32nd Tokyo Motor Show Minister of Energy and Industryof Qatar H.E. Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Ambassador of the State of Qatar H.E. Ahmed Abdulla Al-Khal Undersecretary, Ministry of Finance, Economy and Tradelof Qatar H.E. Yousef Hussain Kamal 4.Visitors 92,100 attendees

JAPAN MOTOR INDUSTRIAL FEDERATION, INC.