iims-ceweks

We've come to the end of our 2014 Indonesia International Motor Show coverage - paultan.org has been an annual visitor to the IIMS since 2011, and, God willing, we'll continue to make the two-hour flight to Jakarta for years to come.

This is because the show is growing from strength to strength, visible by the number of exhibitors, the amount of space it takes up and the growing visitor count - the 2014 edition drew in a big crowd of 311,405 over the 10 days it was held at the JI Expo in Kemayoran.

Speaking of the venue, the show is outgrowing the venue, so much so that IIMS promoter Dyandra Promosindo had to turn down exhibitors. We're told that the expo is set for an expansion, and there's also the option of moving to a bigger location further away.

But the main reason why we head to Jakarta every year is the cars. As Indonesia grows to rival Thailand as the biggest auto market in ASEAN - with such a large population and a low car ownership ratio, it's set to overtake the Land of Smiles very soon - carmakers have started to bring regional and even world debuts (Honda CR-Z facelift in 2012) to Jakarta.

The cars are relevant to us too, with many coming soon models previewed in Jakarta before heading to our shores. Small carmaker Daihatsu is big in Indonesia, and as sister to our market leader Perodua, its IIMS displays are always of interest to us.

This year, Daihatsu paraded sequels of previous concepts, showcars that are one step closer to reality. We showed you the UFC-3 (next Alza?), CUV-2 (future Terios/Kembara?), Ayla GT2 (rally look for Axia's sister) and some modded made-in-Malaysia Sirions.

IIMS 2014 Showgirls 45

Honda gave its HR-V compact SUV, which is coming to Malaysia next year, a regional debut in Jakarta. If the fantastic reader response to that story is anything to go by, the "baby CR-V" is set to be a big hit here.

We also had a good look at the new Nissan X-Trail, just launched in Indonesia and debuting this year in Malaysia as a CKD. The Thai-assembled Mazda 2, also on its way here, made an appearance too. We have two specs of the ASEAN-spec supermini for you to compare here. Mitsubishi launched the Delica "Sport Utility MPV" for Indonesia at the show - would the high-riding seven-seater work here?

We hope you've enjoyed our exclusive live coverage of IIMS 2014. If not, we hope this 66-pic gallery of Jakarta's cewek cantik will make up for it. Our customary sign off, as usual, for your enjoyment. :)