BRIEFING: Central and Eastern Europe automotive market review

The opening of Hyundai’s Nosovice plant in the Czech Republic in November 2008 marked the end of an era for Central Europe. It meant all the major new greenfield car manufacturing investments in the region were now up and running. And given the state of the global economy, it is unlikely there will be any more investment in new plants there for the foreseeable future. With investment in new plants no longer an option, the automotive industry in Central Europe has switched to survival mode. This month's briefing from Mark Bursa focuses on the industry in the region providing analysis of recent market performance, a review of top car models, labour costs and activity by each major manufacturer.