Three Auto Execs Axed Amid Finnish Car Market Slump

Finland's new car market has struggled for several years, and the ongoing downturn is now triggering major leadership changes among Finnish car importers. Rami Kittilä, CEO of Auto-Bon Oy. Esa Kurikka, CEO of Hyundai Motor Finland, and Heikki Vuorinen, CEO of Nordic Automotive Service, have all been let go. These executives are well-known figures with long careers in Finland’s automotive industry. Stefan Andström, CEO of Bassadone Automotive Nordic, confirmed the news to Helsingin Sanomat. The company websites no longer list these individuals as CEOs. Auto-Bon Oy represents Stellantis brands, including Alfa Romeo, Citroën, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Opel, and Peugeot. Nordic Automotive Service handles Dacia, Renault, and Nissan, which moved to Bassadone about a year ago. Hyundai imports operate under Hyundai Motor Finland. Bassadone has aggressively expanded its import operations in Finland and the Baltics in recent years, adding Opel, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Jeep, and Nissan over the past four years. This growth happened amid an exceptionally weak overall economy and especially poor conditions in the auto market. Antti Ruhanen, Bassadone’s long-time CEO, left unexpectedly in summer 2025. Stefan Andström took over as CEO of Bassadone Automotive Nordic at the start of 2026. The group also runs AutoBassadone, a chain selling new and used cars in Vantaa, Tampere, and Raisio. Bassadone Automotive Nordic is the Finnish subsidiary of the Gibraltar-based, family-owned Bassadone Automotive Group. Separately, Toyota Auto Finland, which imported the top-selling car brand in Finland in 2025, recently announced it is entering restructuring negotiations due to the same market pressures.