Audi skipping 2019 Detroit show

Next year\'s Detroit show will be a quiet one.

Audi has confirmed it will skip the 2019 edition of the Detroit auto show. Arch rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW announced the same move in recent weeks.

"Audi has had a long and successful history at NAIAS, debuting countless models that customers enjoy today. For 2019, we have decided that we will not participate in NAIAS. We will continue to evaluate auto shows on a case-by-case basis relative to the timing of our product introductions and the value the show brings from a media and consumer perspective," the company explained in a statement sent to industry trade journal Automotive News.

Audi stepped out of the auto show circuit last year when it organized the first Audi Summit in Barcelona, Spain. It introduced the 2019 A8 during the event. The brand will unveil the e-tron quattro during this year's Summit, which will take place on August 30th in Brussels.

The decision to sit out Detroit represents another punch to the gut for the show, which competes with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) for media attention. The show organizers are examining ways to revitalize the event. One of the options on the table consists of moving it from January to October, when it's warmer in Michigan. This would -- in theory -- allow auto-makers to organize outdoors test drives for the media and the public.

Though the 2019 Detroit show will be a quiet one, it will remain an event worth attending for enthusiasts. We expect one of the stars will be Chevrolet's long-rumored mid-engined Corvette, which is the industry's worst-kept secret, and the organizers stress the companies attending the event have other surprises in store.

"In meetings that have occurred around the world with participating brands, the show has been privy to some insights on significant product and industry news that has been earmarked for Detroit for the 2019 show," a spokesperson told Automotive News.

Note: Audi A7 pictured. Photo by Ronan Glon.