Top carmakers let cautious optimism creep into their outlooks at the Paris Auto Show on Thursday, pinning hopes on emerging markets to dispel dark clouds over major western economies. Volkswagen has turned slightly more optimistic, the sales chief for Europe's top carmaker told reporters, forecasting the global car market will grow by 6-7 percent this year, more than the 5 percent he had seen before. “There are still risks but we increasingly see more reason to view developments more positively than before,” Christian Klingler said as Europe's top auto show this year kicked off. Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of both French group Renault and Japanese partner Nissan Motor, said Europe's car market could fall 2 percent next year, adding: “Growth of 3-4 percent globally (in 2011) would be completely reasonable”. Italian carmaker Fiat expected to raise its 2010 targets and will report a net profit this year even though sales in September had not done well, chief executive Sergio Marchionne said. Automakers in Europe have braced for pain as cash-for-clunkers schemes that many countries introduced to spur demand during the financial crisis expire. Budget cuts to shore up stretched public finances won't help consumer spending. “We are probably in for a slow continued recovery around all markets. But there will probably be some austerity measures in some countries that will change that outlook,” Ford of Europe chairman and chief executive Stephen Odell told reporters. Carmakers are counting on brisk growth in emerging markets such as Brazil, China, and India to take up the slack. “It is no news that the first place is China for most of us, definitely for Mercedes, but it does not stop there,” Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche said. “Within the BRIC countries certainly Russia is taking up again,”
