A fresh report out of Europe suggests that Mercedes-Benz will pull out of the 2019 iteration of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
According to Automotive News Europe, sources at the Stuttgart-based automaker have confirmed plans to give next year’s show a miss.
“We have to look at whether a trade show like Detroit fits with the cadence of our launch calendar and whether there’s a more effective format for our needs,” a senior Mercedes executive told the publication.
“The G-Class was the perfect product to debut this year, but the likelihood we will be in Detroit next January is very slim. That doesn’t mean, however, we are ruling out a return in 2020,” the executive added.
Rod Alberts, who is the executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the body that runs the show, said that he hadn’t “heard that news”.
“That’s all I can say,” he added.
A second source within Daimler told Automotive News Europe that he didn’t see Mercedes-Benz going back to Detroit.
“With the number of models we have there’s always a new car waiting to be launched. That’s not the reason,” the source said, referring to the first source’s use of the brand’s launch calendar to explain the decision.
“Trade shows were designed so potential customers could easily compare prices across brands in one day, but this is no longer contemporary. Once you make the decision you’re out, why go back?”
