Russia Sales Enjoy Robust Growth in May, Year-to-Date

Russia’s new-vehicle market continued to show strength in May, with sales up 11% to 260,944 units, lifting the 5-month result 15% to 1,141,484.

Association of European Businesses Automobile Manufacturers Committee Chairman Joerg Schreiber says May marked the 25th consecutive month of year-on-year gains for the Russian automotive market.

“The pace of growth is becoming less pronounced, reflecting the robust volume base the market reached last year with the help of the now-absent government stimuli to the retail sector,” Schreiber says in a statement.

“External developments on a global economic scale and their potential impact on the appetite of Russian consumers is something to be watched in the coming months.

“At this point, however, we see no reason to revise the positive outlook on the Russian automotive market, maintaining a full-year forecast of 2.85 million passenger and light-commercial vehicles in 2012.”

Lada sales continued to fall in May, but its entrenched market dominance left it comfortably ahead of the pack in volume. Lada deliveries declined 11% last month to 46,210 units for a 5-month total down 13% to 205,700.

Renault narrowly held on to second place for the year after being outsold by Chevrolet last month. The French auto maker’s sales in May climbed 36% to 15,503 units for a year-to-date result up 28% to 75,720.

Chevrolet deliveries grew 15% to 19,360 units in May and were up 18% for the first five months to 74,788. Ford sales rose 11% to 11,000 units last month and gained 24% year-to-date to 50,652.

The recently formed Avtovaz-Renault-Nissan alliance saw May deliveries slip 1% to 77,293 units, good for a 5-month uptick of just 1% to 351,578.

Volkswagen Group deliveries jumped 47% last month to 14,774 units and surged 65% to 122,450 for the year’s first five months, compared with like-2011.

The General Motors Group comprising Chevrolet, Cadillac and Opel held third place in May sales, up 17% to 27,091 units. The year-to-date total climbed 22% to 107,837.

Opel sales advanced 25% to 7,551 units last month for a 5-month result up 34% to 32,064. Cadillac deliveries tumbled 35% for the month to 180 units, but the brand’s 5-month total of 985 was a 3% improvement over like-2011.

Lada had four models in the 10 best-selling nameplates year-to-date. The Kalina with  54,910 units and Priora with 48,989 were atop the list.

Hyundai’s Solaris was a close third, with 5-month sales surging 64% to 48,505 units.

Ford’s Focus ranked fifth, as May deliveries grew 9% to 7,709 units, up 24% in the first five months to 36,369. Chevrolet’s Niva held 10^th place after May sales climbed 23% to 5,249, lifting its year-to-date total 30% to 24,519.