Eastern Europe

GABE NELSON

Why no Disneyland of cars in Detroit?

8:11 am U.S. ET | March 19, 2013
When Volkswagen executives designed the Autostadt, a combination of museum, theme park and car dealership down the road from VW's corporate headquarters, they were not following an old German formula. They were imitating America.... Read More »

 

Serbia cranks up Fiat 500L output

March 14, 2013 06:01 CET
The Serbian unit of Fiat plans to produce between 110,000 and 160,000 of its new 500L family of compact cars for Europe and the United States this year, a key boost for Serbian exports, the head of the factory said.... Read More »

 

Russian car sales growth slows to 2% in February

March 11, 2013 14:01 CET
Russian car sales grew 2 percent year-on-year in February to 210,666 units, slowing from a 5 percent increase in the previous month, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) said on Monday.... Read More »

 

LATEST LAUNCHES

Fiat aims 500L at families

March 11, 2013 06:01 CET
Fiat added the 500L to provide a car for customers who have grown out of three-door 500, specifically at couples who have started families. The 500L – the L stands for large – is a five-door small minivan that is 602mm longer than the 500.... Read More »

 

PAUL MCVEIGH

Euro contagion means Russia car sales likely to pass Germany this year

12:01 am U.S. ET | March 5, 2013
Russia is likely to become Europe's biggest market for new vehicles as early as this year as current leader Germany succumbs to the euro zone crisis, according to Toyota Europe's sales and marketing boss Karl Schlicht.... Read More »

 

PSA in talks with Russia's ZIL on vehicle making pact

March 1, 2013 16:19 CET
PSA confirmed it is talking with Russian vehicle manufacturer AMO ZIL about the possibility of cooperating as the French company plans to boost sales in the country.... Read More »

 

Toyota to expand Russia lineup with U.S.-made Venza

Feb. 26, 2013 13:34 CET
Toyota will expand its model lineups in Russia and Ukraine by adding the U.S.-built Venza to the mix. The world's largest automaker will begin shipments of the wagon later this year as a way to generate added revenue for its U.S. operations.... Read More »

 

Estonia installs nationwide EV charger network

Feb. 21, 2013 12:47 CET
Estonia has become the first country in the world to install a nationwide system of fast chargers for electric vehicles as part of European efforts to reduce carbon emissions.... Read More »

 

Renault-Nissan, UniCredit create Russia finance venture

Feb. 14, 2013 15:50 CET
Renault-Nissan will create a joint venture with Italian bank UniCredit to sell loans to car buyers in Russia. The alliance will have a 60 percent stake in the venture, while UniCredit will hold 40 percent, the companies said in a joint statement.... Read More »

 

Russian automakers mull luxury brand to rival BMW, Mercedes

Feb. 14, 2013 14:29 CET
Russian automakers are considering their government's desire for a domestic luxury brand to challenge the dominance of Western premium brands such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, but they appear cool on the proposal.... Read More »

 

Fiat to build next 500 for global markets in Poland only, sources say

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 12, 2013
Fiat will concentrate global production of the next 500 minicar in Poland, ending output of the model for North America at Chrysler's Mexico plant by 2015. The move provides additional work for Fiat's top-performing Tychy factory.... Read More »

 

Fiat to move 500 output from Mexico to Poland, sources say

12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 11, 2013
Fiat S.p.A. plans to move all production of the next-generation 500 subcompact to Tychy, Poland, three sources said. The consolidation in Tychy will end 500 production at Chrysler Group's plant in Toluca, Mexico.... Read More »

 

Russian car sales grew 5% in January; flat 2013 forecast

Feb. 11, 2013 06:01 CET
Russian new-car sales grew 5 percent year-on-year in January, the Association of European Businesses said.... Read More »

 

Fiat will build the 500 for global markets in Poland only, sources say

Feb. 11, 2013 06:01 CET
Fiat will concentrate global production of the next 500 minicar in Poland, ending output of the model for North America at Chrysler's Mexico plant by 2015. The move provides additional work for Fiat's top-performing Tychy factory.... Read More »

 

Renault's European fix in danger as Russian growth slows

Feb. 7, 2013 06:19 CET
Russia's car market is forecast to slow and possibly decline this year, ending a three-year streak of gains of more than 10 percent and damping market leader Renault's efforts to offset slumping demand in Europe.... Read More »

 

Chevrolet looks to GAZ to help it keep Russia lead

9:00 am U.S. ET | Feb. 5, 2013
General Motors is hoping its production alliance with Russia's GAZ Group will help Chevrolet remain the country's top-selling foreign brand. GAZ started making the Aveo sedan on Tuesday and will begin assembling the hatchback variant in late March with a goal of producing 30,000 units of the subcompacts this year.... Read More »

 

Chevrolet looks to GAZ to help it keep Russia lead

Feb. 5, 2013 15:00 CET
GM is hoping its production alliance with Russia's GAZ Group will help Chevrolet remain the country's top-selling foreign brand. GAZ started making the Aveo sedan today and will begin assembling the hatchback variant in late March with a goal of producing 30,000 units of the subcompacts this year.... Read More »

 

Suzuki no Europe profit since 2008, report says

Feb. 3, 2013 06:01 CET
Suzuki has failed to post a profit for its European operations in four years and cannot say when it will cease posting losses, its regional chief told a German business magazine.... Read More »

 

Tata denies it plans European production in Romania

Jan. 31, 2013 08:59 CET
Tata Motors has denied that it plans to open a vehicle assembly plant in Romania.... Read More »

 

PSA-Toyota Czech car production falls 20% in 2012

Jan. 29, 2013 10:27 CET
TPCA, the Czech car assembly plant jointly owned by Toyota and PSA said production fell by a fifth to 215,000 vehicles in 2012 due to weak European demand. The plant, which employs 3,000 workers, makes the Toyota Aygo, Peugeot 107 and Citroen C1 minicars.... Read More »

 

GM replots emerging market strategy, hedges on China partner

9:09 am U.S. ET | Jan. 27, 2013
GM is reconsidering its emerging-market strategy, CEO Dan Akerson says, in remarks that could dent the global ambitions of its Chinese partner, SAIC Motor. GM has indicated for three years now that it would use SAIC, which produces affordable no-frills cars in joint ventures with GM, as its ideal partner to expand in emerging markets. But in recent months, GM has been looking to partner with Peugeot Citroen in Europe but also in Russia and Latin America.... Read More »

 

Russian car market sales value up 21.9% in 2012, Ernst & Young says

Jan. 25, 2013 13:47 CET
Russia's car market increased in value by 21.9 percent to 2.33 trillion rubles ($77 billion) in 2012, according to data from auditing firm Ernst & Young.... Read More »

 

Daimler starts production of Mercedes CLA in Hungary

Jan. 25, 2013 13:00 CET
Daimler has begun production of a coupe-styled Mercedes compact alongside the B class in Hungary. The CLA is one of three new compacts that the automaker is planning to launch before 2015.... Read More »

 

Russian car sales will rise 5% in 2013, PwC says

Jan. 22, 2013 10:07 CET
Russian car sales will likely rise by 5 percent in 2013 to around 2.9 million, PricewaterhouseCoopers said on Tuesday. The figure represents a slowdown from the previous year but is in stark contrast to recession-bound Europe where car sales slid to a 17-year low.... Read More »

 

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS WORLD CONGRESS

Auto industry hardball, Russian style: Bo vs. Putin

12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 21, 2013
Bo Andersson is doing to the Russian auto industry these days what he spent a decade doing to the North American industry: making it sweat.... Read More »