Inspired by driving the latest Lada Kalina sports model through the Siberian tundra last week Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told news channel Vesti 24 that Russia will gradually increase import duties on foreign carmakers from the existing 30% to encourage them to open manufacturing plants in Russia.

Russian truck maker Kamaz has said it expects the domestic truck market to grow by 16.6 percent next year excluding a state sponsored scrappage scheme to incentivise buyers. "We expect that the total market will be about 60,000 units in 2010," marketing director Ashot Arutyunyan told journalists on Thursday. "In 2011 we expect the market will be about 70,000 units excluding scrappage."

The past seven months have seen a 60-percent increase in  car production in Russia – a sign that the sector shows stable signs of growing , Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Khristenko has said.