Opel will miss Munich show in blow to organizers

Stellantis has confirmed that Opel will not be participating in this year's Munich auto show, which is replacing Frankfurt as the venue of Germany's biennial event in September.

The decision is a blow to the show's organizer, the VDA industry association, which wants to attract big names to build interest in the revamped event.

"The brands of the Stellantis group will not participate in this year's IAA in Munich," a spokesperson for the group told Automotive News Europe. Opel, meanwhile, will reveal the new Astra compact a month before the show.

It had previously been reported that Stellantis' non-German brands, including Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Jeep, would skip the event, but that Opel, which was founded in 1862, was still weighing whether to attend, according to sources.

Other brands that will not be at the show include Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota and Kia.

The revamped show will have a sharper focus on future mobility trends and will spread attractions across a number of locations throughout the city rather than have everything at one dedicated venue.

The attractions will be connected by a so-called Blue Lane, a road network that acts both as a test route for new mobility vehicles and for transporting visitors to different locations.

The Open Space concept will also split automakers across various squares and parks in central Munich. Automakers that  have signed up to participate in the concept include Volkswagen, Ford, Dacia, Polestar, Audi, Porsche, Cupra, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Nio and Wey (owned by China's Great Wall).

"We already have strong commitments for the IAA, so we are very confident we can attract manufacturers and suppliers from around of the world to Munich," VDA President Hildegard Mueller said at a presentation of the new format last year.

Along with automakers the show will feature suppliers, bike brands and a wide range of technology companies, the IAA has said.

Audi will show a concept for its new electric flagship, shared with Porsche and Bentley, that has been dubbed Project Landjet, Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilewoche reported.