FHI May Team Up With Russia’s Avtotor

FHI May Team Up With Russia’s Avtotor

FHI plans to start production of Subaru cars in Russia in 2013-14, with an annual production capacity of 30 thousand cars. The company is also negotiating with Sberbank Capital, the investment division of Russia’s state-owned Sberbank, on a possible vehicle production at GAZ Group’s Nizhny Novgorod plant. Earlier it was reported that the company is considering the organization of SKD assembly in the Russian Far East, which suggested Sollers to be its future partner.

According to the company's plans, Subaru sales in Russia will amount to 12.300 units in 2011, up 40 percent compared to last year’s results. In 2012 the company expects to sell over 20 thousand cars, in 2013 more than 30 thousand, and in 2014 more than 40 thousand unis. The brand’s best-selling model in Russia is the Forester crossover, followed by the Outback and the Impreza.

Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) is reportedly in talks with Kaliningrad-based Avtotor about a possible cooperation in contract assembly of Subaru vehicles