Russia’s Sales Slide Slows in March

Russian new-vehicle sales fell 10% year-on-year to 125,917 units in March, with the industry hoping the market finally is ready to grow with the first buds of spring.

The March figures show an improvement on the previous month, when sales eased 13.4% from the prior-year to 111,145 units.

Association of European Businesses Automobile Manufacturers Committee data indicates the latest result left the first quarter frozen in the red, down 16.9% at 319,092 units.

“(The) March sales result demonstrates the automotive market as a whole is not in good shape yet, although gradually moving closer to hitting a bottom after many months of continuous decline,” committee Chairman Joerg Schreiber says in a statement.

“Further progress in this direction largely depends on the stability of the macroeconomic environment, and the continuity of government efforts in stimulating market demand in the coming months,” he says.

Lada continued to dominate the market despite its volume falling at almost twice the industry rate, down 19% in March to 22,267 units for a first-quarter total off 17% at 56,879.

Kia followed, down just 2% for the month at 12,334 to drop 9% year-to-date at 32,875 units.

Hyundai maintained third place despite its March result diving 21% to 11,009 for a first-quarter down 26% at 29,529 units.

Ford, in 11th place, saw its result go through the floor, dropping 120% in March to 4,071 vehicles and 93% after three months to 9,747.

The AvtoVAZ-Renault-Nissan alliance was off 14.3% in March at 42,542 units, giving it a first-quarter total off 20.9% at 106,129.

The VW Group remained a distant second with sales in the month falling 3.0% to 13,580 for a first-quarter down 17.0% at 34,457 vehicles.

The now two-branded General Motors (Chevrolet and Cadillac) saw sales slide 39.5% to just 3,070 units. Its first-quarter total fell 49.0% to 6,852.

Hyundai’s Solaris was the top-selling model for March, off 10.6% at 7,678 units. Kia’s Rio followed, down 18.7% at 5,832, ahead of one-time pacesetter, the Lada Granta, down 58.3% to 5,181 units.

Granta was impacted by a February price increase and by sales of Lada’s new Vesta, intended as a competitor to the Solaris and Rio. Vesta deliveries totaled 4,595 units in March and demand reportedly is exceeding supply. Some industry observers predict the model will overtake the Granta in April.