OEMs weather the storm in Russia

It’s been a bitter year for Russian automotive manufacturing. In March 2015, GM made its feelings known when it announced it was pulling Opel out of the country and halting production at its St Petersburg plant. Since then, sales of new vehicles have continued to decline. Expensive credit, pricey cars and ever-shrinking disposable income all mean that the recovery some were hoping might arrive by 2016 does not appear forthcoming, spelling further grief for OEMs with long-term manufacturing plans in the country.