Russia Sees Sales Improve in March, Q1
Auto makers are standing by their prediction of 2.8 million deliveries full-year while they await April’s sales numbers.
New-vehicle sales continued strong in Russia in March, with deliveries increasing 13% year-over-year to 252,816 units, putting the first-quarter total ahead 19% to 614,273.
“The passenger-car and light-commercial-vehicles market in Russia continued to show sustained growth in March, though at a lower level than in the first two months of 2012,” David Thomas, chairman of the Association of European Businesses auto makers’ committee, says in a statement.
“We are seeing signs of a more normalized market as stocks of 2011-production-year cars fall and the supply of 2012 cars comes on stream. There is still a significant range of year-on-year growth across different brands. Quarter one in 2011 was also a very strong period of growth, so 19% growth in Q1 2012 is still a very encouraging performance.”
Thomas says the committee does not yet see any change to its previous prediction of 2.8 million units for the full year, but it will review its forecast during April.
Lada remained Russia’s market leader, even though its sales fell 17% in March to 43,593 units, lowering its first-quarter total 15% to 109,388. Nissan followed, with deliveries jumping 66% to 17,105 and a 3-month total up 52% to 42,117.
Hyundai ranked third, with March sales surging 30% to 16,263 units and a first-quarter total up 50% year-on-year to 41,174. Chevrolet took sixth place with sales increasing 11% to 15,425 for a year-to-date total up 23% to 38,248.
Ford held down ninth place as its March gain of 8% gave it 11,479 units for a 3-month improvement of 30% from like-2011 to 27,231. The AvtoVAZ-Renault-Nissan alliance’s 77,372 deliveries were virtually unchanged from 77,031 prior-year.
While AvtoVAZ sales fell, Renault improved 17% to 43,593 units for a first-quarter total up 27% to 39,303. Nissan deliveries spiked 66% to 17,105, giving it a 52% increase year-to-date to 42,117. Infiniti sales climbed 29% to 1,150 for a 3-month total up 45% to 2,847.
Volkswagen’s first-quarter deliveries soared 77% to 65,965 units on the strength of an 82% surge in March to 28,138. General Motors reported March sales up 18% to 22,593 for a 29% first-quarter upturn to 56,195.
GM’s Adam Opel subsidiary saw a 39% increase to 6,923 units in March for a 3-month total up 43% to 17,384. Cadillac chipped in with 245 deliveries last month, a 47% increase year-on-year, and first-quarter growth of 34% to 563.
Lada sales declined overall, but the auto maker held on to the top two places among individual models.
The Lada Kalina saw March sales drop 15% to 11,071 units to lower its 3-month volume 11% to 27,820. It surpassed the Lada Priora, whose 9,836 deliveries last month slipped 15% for a 3-month total off 3% to 27,433.
Hyundai Solaris sales jumped 57% to 10,592 units to yield 166% first-quarter growth to 27,072, good for third place.
The Ford Focus took fourth place with a 1% uptick to 7,987 units, yet turned in 3-month growth of 28% to 19,597.
The Chevrolet Niva ranked 10th among individual nameplates with 36% growth to 5,560 units and first-quarter deliveries rising 38% to 14,049.
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