Gaz Group says it is evaluating three unnamed Chinese manufacturers with a view to distributing their brands in Russia.

The Russian automaker has pulled out of the passenger vehicle market after sustaining heavy losses, but is nonetheless eyeing potential foreign manufacturers as a way to boost business.

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Speaking to just-auto at this year’s Automotive News Europe Congress in Cologne, Gaz Group CEO Bo Anderson outlined some of the company’s thinking following its PCV exit.

“In 2009 we [had] a 15% market share and lost US$60m in one year,” Anderson told just-auto in the North West German city. “It was a very difficult decision to exit the PCV market.

“I don’t know if it is the right decision. My aspiration is to become a general importer of a foreign brand. We are negotiating with three Chinese [companies] and then I could use my distribution channel. The priority is to help the dealers to get volume into their dealerships.”

Despite Gaz Group’s withdrawl from the passenger vehicle market, the operation still remains the fifth largest bus manufacturer in the world as well as being the number one supplier of trucks to the Russian military.

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And after a particularly lean two years, the Russian market is rebounding with forecasts of 3.8m vehicles sales by 2015 in a country where consumers have 505 models from which to choose.

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