/Update/
MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Groupe PSA intends to export Opel cars from Russia overtime and the industrial strategy contains relevant plans of the Group, Vice President of Groupe PSA, Managing Director of Peugeot, Citroen and Opel in Russia, Alexei Volodin told TASS in an interview.
"Our team definitely sets export plans in development of the corporate industrial strategy because it is impossible without export plans to have the payback on investments required for successful manufacturing and sales in Russia. Therefore, we are certainly building up our strategy in reliance upon exports in particular," the top manager said.
PSA has plans to localize production in Russia but they will be currently subject to revision in order to cater for the new concept of differentiating production subsidies for the scrap fee approved by the Russian government, Volodin said.
"Considering the new regulatory requirements to localization, it is difficult for me to state [production localization plans – TASS]. The economic feasibility of meeting the requested level should be estimated," the top manager said.
Return of Opel
Opel formally announced its restart in Russia in mid-December 2019. Sales started with the imported Grandland X crossover and the Zafira Life minivan assembled in Kaluga. The brand is officially cooperating at present with eleven dealers in eight Russian cities.
In 2015, General Motors, which owned Opel before, announced a major revision of its plans on the Russian market and withdrew the Opel brand. In 2017, Groupe PSA purchased the Opel brand from General Motors.