- Honda will stop marketing its Insight hybrid and CRZ hybrid models in Europe due to insufficient sales. The manufacturer sold only 1 242 Insight models in the European market in 2013, down 62% compared to 2012, and only 695 CRZ, down 66%. Since 1999, when the first hybrid models from Honda were launched in Europe, the carmaker sold just over 102 000 vehicles of this type in Europe.

- Its direct competitor, Toyota, sold over 480 000 hybrid vehicles in Europe over the same period (including 377 000 under the Toyota brand and 106 000 under the Lexus brand).

- The failure of Honda hybrid models versus Toyota may be explained by several reasons:

- Toyota launched its first hybrid model in 1997 thanks to a car positioned on a segment with a large volume of potential sales : C segment. Honda launched its hybrid two years later on a niche segment, the segment of small coupes.

- The Prius was then renewed in 2004 with upgraded amenities (segment D) while the Honda Insight was renewed in 2009 by a C-segment sedan, a completely new model.

- The Prius "Fashion" launched thanks to the second generation of the car, was particularly strong in the U.S., which boosted the image of the vehicle.

- The diversification of the Prius range (Prius, Prius +, Prius C) while Honda was limited to two vehicles (Insight and CRZ).

- In fact, Toyota invested heavily in hybrid technology and acquired a near monopoly position in this segment, which was not the case of Honda, that is currently designing a new line of hybrid cars.

  

- For several years now, we regularly hear that the Russian market will become the largest in the European car market, ahead of Germany, which has been the largest European market since the 60s.

- Russia is still an emerging car market, although car sales have been substantial since the arrival of the Lada brand in 1970. However, with a large population and a very low motorization rate (250 per 1 000 inhabitants, against more than 500 in Europe), and a continuous enrichment of the middle class, Russia has the potential to become the biggest European car market.

- The German market has been stagnating since 2012, partly because of a declining population and a slowing economy. The market will hardly reach the threshold of 3.3 million passenger cars from 2017 to 2018.

- Unless another case scenario appears, Russia will benefit from growth (in 2014), driven by domestic demand, from exports (including energy) and from the increase in net incomes.

- Taking into account the factors mentioned in this analysis, and despite occasional fluctuations that may impact the German or Russian market Inovev estimates that for the 2017-2018 period , Russia will permanently become the first European car market, ahead of Germany.