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OREANDA-NEWS. Foreign automakers in 2015 may announce an increase in retail prices for cars, which are assembled at its plants in St. Petersburg. It was not excluded by the Russian offices of Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan and Ford, surveyed by "TASS".

"If we talk about our pricing policy this year, then, depending on the model, the price increase was 4% in average. We analyze the current situation and the possibility to increase the prices of our models, and in the near future we plan to announce new prices for the model range”, - said director of sales of “Hyundai Motor CIS", Alex Kalitsov.

The press service of the company made it clear that the company has a relatively high level of localization (46%), and the production of cars in St. Petersburg is at a full cycle, including stamping body parts. The plant produces models Hyundai Solaris and Kia Rio, the expected production volume in 2014 is about 230 thousand cars.

Toyota cars of the current year of manufacture, including the model Camry, which is assembled in St. Petersburg, are sold for customers under the current price list. "By the end of December, we have no plans to revise the recommended retail prices for Toyota cars. About the changing of recommended retail prices for Toyota cars of 2015 manufacture year, it will be announced later, in the middle of January 2015”, - informed the press service of "Toyota Motor". The company clarified that the revision of the recommended retail prices twice a year (at the beginning and the middle) is the standard practice of Toyota in Russia.

Toyota Camry sedan is produced at the plant in St. Petersburg. Localization level is 30%, recently it was opened the shop of stamping body parts and the production of plastic parts and it was also launched the assembly of updated model. It is expected that during 2014 the plant will produce 35.6 thousand cars. By the end of 2015 the designed production capacity of the plant will be doubled up to 100 thousand cars a year, and in 2016 - to begin the production of crossover RAV4.

On December 17th, Nissan Company for the second time in ten days announced about the price increase for cars in Russia. Prices of six models rose: Almera (by 3%), Terrano (by 3,5%), Juke, Qashqai, Patrol and the GT-R (all – by 5%). Before the prices for "Nissan" increased on December 8th – then Almera sedan and crossover Terrano became more expensive by 2%, by 2,5% - Juke and by 3% - Qashqai. "Now we do not rule out anything - it is very possible that there will be another increase," - said the representative of Nissan in Russia, Roman Skolsky.

St. Petersburg plant Nissan produces models Teana, X-Trail, Murano and Pathfinder. In 2014 the company opened the second stage, which will permit to double the capacity up to 100,000 vehicles per year. In 2015 it is planned to start the assembly of the crossover Qashqai. Localization level is 39%, in 2015 it should reach 45%.

The press service of Ford Sollers (a joint venture between Russian Sollers Group and Ford Motor Company) noted that the ruble depreciated against the world currencies by 60-70% per year. "Unfortunately, even with substantial localization we have to follow all the market to correct price. During the year we have shifted the burden of the devaluation by the minimum on the shoulders of consumers, by adjusting prices by in average by 5%”, - reported the press service of the joint venture.

As it was reported before, in the first half of 2015 the plant in Vsevolozhsk is going to start the production of the updated sedan Mondeo, and closer to the autumn - Focus. Previously, the plant in order to reduce the impact of the devaluation of the ruble, announced about the period of forced inactivity, introduced single-shift work in their plants and it cut 700 employees at the plant in Leningrad region. Among the reasons the top management of the company called the slowdown in consumer activity in the market of new cars and the falling demand for cars of C-segment. The expected production in 2014 was not announced, the maximum capacity is 125 thousand cars per a year.

Thus, automakers did not inform how much the price can be increased. According to experts, the plants expected the stability of the ruble. "Localization at none of the five car plants of St. Petersburg and Leningrad region has not reached 50% - respectively, a significant amount of imported car parts depends on the exchange rate of the national currency", - said General Director of the analytical agency “Auto-Dealer-SPb”, Michael Chaplygin.

In "GM Auto" has not responded yet to the request of "TASS". This year, the conveyor at the site stopped several times to bring the production in a line with declining market demand. Then the plant cut 500 of workers and went to work in one shift. The expected production volume for 2014 was not announced, the design capacity of the plant is - 98 thousand cars a year.