Honda Says No to Frankfurt, Toyota Confirms Presence

Pulling out of major car shows this year and struggling to reduce costs as much as possible seems to be the main task for lots automakers across the globe, including Honda who recently announced it no longer plans to come at this year's Frankfurt auto show. On the other hand, Toyota confirmed it will come at the September show but didn't provide too many details regarding the models it plans to display.

"We are indeed planning to participate in the IAA 2009," a Toyota Motor Europe spokeswoman commented on the rumors according to Autonews.

As expected, the main reason for Honda's decision is the negative effect of the economic downturn as the company wants to save costs as much as possible. Exhibiting at the Frankfurt auto show could cost up to 1 million euros but Honda says it would better use the money on researching and environmentally-friendly models.

"Honda is trying to reduce every possible cost in various areas including manufacturing, sales and marketing activities to strengthen its business constitution to overcome the tough climate of today," the company said.

Mitsubishi, Nissan and Infiniti won't attend the show as well, while Mazda and Suzuki already confirmed their presence at the event. Nevertheless, Nissan will still come at the New York, Shanghai and Tokyo shows, as well as at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show which is often regarded as the main event of the year in the automotive industry.

Rumors are claiming BMW and Mercedes-Benz might miss this year's Tokyo auto show, as both companies are currently striving to save costs in every area. Volkswagen is still unsure whether to come at the show but a final decision is expected this month.