PARIS, Sept 18 (Reuters) - New car sales in France this month offer little hope for a quick recovery in one of Europe's hardest-hit auto markets, the head of PSA Peugeot Citroen said in an interview released on Thursday.
"The pace of orders and commercial activity in September is not a sign of quick recovery in the French market," Jean-Martin Folz said in an interview with Les Echos newspaper to be published on Friday.
He reiterated that he expected the western European car market to fall three percent this year and predicted slight growth in the longer term.
PSA, Europe's second largest carmaker, which has been hit this year by a dearth of new models, sliding European demand and a strong euro, would also meet its targets of selling 3.35 million cars in 2003 and four million by 2006, Folz said.