Published

Russia Could Be Europe’s Biggest Car Market This Year

Toyota Motor Corp. says a modest gain in Russia's auto sales in 2013 will vault the country past Germany to become the top-selling country in Europe, Automotive News reports.
#economics

Share

Toyota Motor Corp. says a modest gain in Russia's auto sales in 2013 will vault the country past Germany to become the top-selling country in Europe, Automotive News reports.

Analysts have forecast that Russia would become Europe's largest national market by 2017.

Karl Schlicht, Toyota's sales and marketing chief in Europe, tells AN that the company expects sales this year to climb 2% to 3 million vehicles in Russia and drop 12% to 2.7 million units in Germany.

German industry group VDA forecasts the country's market will slip to 3 million vehicles in 2013 from 3.1 million units last year. The Moscow-based Assn. of European Businesses predicts Russia's volume will edge up less than 1% from a record 2.9 million vehicles in 2012.

Toyota's sales in Russia jumped 28% to 153,000 vehicles last year compared with 11% industrywide growth. Schlicht expects modest growth in the company's volume there in 2013.

RELATED CONTENT

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions