ST. PETERSBURG – General Motors Russia was not immune from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global semiconductor shortage in 2021, yet sales of its Cadillac and Chevrolet models increased 72.7% compared with prior-year.
Olga Burlakova, director of marketing and public relations for GM Russia, tells the Kommersant business paper in an interview that sales of all premium vehicles increased 14% year-on-year in the first 11 months of 2021, compared with 7% for the mass market.
The figures show Russia’s premium segment traditionally recovers from market disruptions more quickly, she says.
GM Russia began revamping its lineup in 2020, when it launched the Cadillac XT4 small luxury CUV, an upgraded Cadillac CT5 midsize luxury CUV and the 7-seat Cadillac XT6 large luxury CUV. The company also introduced long-awaited updates of its flagship Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Tahoe, large premium SUVs long favored by Russian customers.
The company also has expanded into new segments with products such as the Chevrolet Trailblazer priced between RR1.9 million-RR2.4 million ($24,000-$30,300). The small CUV is available in Russia in four trim levels and a 150-hp turbocharged gasoline engine.
GM Russia this year plans to launch an updated version of the Chevrolet Traverse large CUV. This model likely will be priced higher than the current version selling for RR3.9 million ($49,200). Analysts expect the new Traverse to contribute to the overall sales growth of premium Chevrolet models in Russia in 2022.
GM remains a minor player in the Russian market, with full-year 2021 sales of 3,423 units, up 72.7% from a year earlier, according to Wards Intelligence data. Cadillac sales totaled 2,377, up 66.9%, and Chevrolet deliveries increased 87.5% to 1,046. Tahoe (358 sales) and Trailblazer (245) were the most popular Chevrolet models.
GM Russia operates two independent Chevrolet dealer networks in the country, one specializing in mass-market models and the other focused on the premium segment of the market. GM Russia also has announced it will launch on online car-buying service.
Russian analysts say the automaker’s positive results in Russia in 2021 will help compensate for the more than RR6 billion ($75.7 million) in losses associated with the sale of its St. Petersburg plant in 2020.
