ST. PETERSBURG, June 3. /TASS/. Avtovaz forecasts the results of the 2026 automobile market to remain at last year's level, CEO of the Russian automaker Maxim Sokolov told TASS in an interview on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"If we talk about its [market] prospects by the end of the year, we cannot say that they will be too optimistic. Most likely, they will be moderately conservative, so to speak, and it [the market] will remain in the parameters and volumes of the 2025 market, respectively, that is, within 1.4 mln [units]," Sokolov said.

Nevertheless, it is possible to work and possible to operate successfully in such a market according to automaker’s own experience, the chief executive said. "We maintain our break-even model, and by the end of May, we also earned a profit, albeit small, which we will then materialize in our new projects and our investment program," he added.

The 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) is taking place on June 3-6. The forum program is dedicated to shaping a new model of global development amid the ongoing transformation of the world economy. The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. TASS is its official general information partner.