Russian Auto Makers See Sales Gains Despite September Slowdown

Russia’s new-vehicle deliveries slowed in September but still rose 10% to 259,582 units, taking the 9-month total to 2,187,797 for a 14% gain.

The September growth rate fell short of August results, up 15%, and July, up 14%.

“The hot phase of fast year-on-year growth in Russia is over, for now,” Joerg Schreiber, chairman of the Association of European Businesses Automobile Manufacturers Committee, says in a statement. “On the backdrop of the situation in the rest of Europe, however, a 10% increase in sales is a very respectable result.”

The Lada brand continued to dominate the market in September, despite a 1% drop in deliveries, to 50,168 units. Its 9-month result was up 10% to 399,142.

Chevrolet rose 21% from a much smaller base to 18,497 units, with a 9-month total also up 21% to 153,994.

Kia overtook Renault to move into third place year-to-date, with September sales climbing 28% to 16,544 units up 25% to 140,677 for the first nine months.

Renault deliveries for the month jumped 16% to 14,013 units, pushing year-to-date results up 24% to 138,530.

Ford drove back into ninth place with September sales up 2% to 11,400 units and a 9-month total rising 17% at 95,877.

By group, Avtovaz Renault-Nissan dominated the Russian landscape with September sales up 3% to 78,473 units for a 9-month result up 1% to 663,552, offsetting Lada’s loss with gains from the Renault, Nissan and Infiniti brands.

The Volkswagen Group was a distant second in September, climbing 28% to 27,739 units for a year-to-date gain of 50% to 234,096.

General Motors brands followed, jumping 18% to 25,048 units in September and up 22% to 216,647 year-to-date.

Four of September’s top-10 models were Ladas, but the Ford Focus held onto fifth place, up 6% to 7,782 units and 21% to 68,332 in the first nine months.

The Chevrolet Cruze maintained 10^th place, with September sales soaring 40% to 5,091 units and volume up 70% to 46,448 year-to-date.