Russian LV Sales Drop for Third Consecutive Month

Russia’s new-vehicle sales slump accelerated in May, falling 12% to 229,670 units, compared with year-ago.

The European Association of Businesses’ Automobile Manufacturers Committee says this leaves the year-to-date total down 4% to 1,091,968 units. The committee responds to the latest result by cutting its full-year forecast 5%, or 150,000, to 2.8 million deliveries.

“The negative year-on-year trend in Russian car sales is continuing for the third (consecutive) month now, at an increasing pace,” committee chairman Joerg Schreiber says in a statement.

“Market participants are concerned about this situation and expect continued slow demand before a potential improvement in the second half of the year. Further developments will depend also on what the government is prepared to do to stimulate general economic growth and private consumption, in particular.”

Lada remained the runaway sales leader despite an 18% slump in May to 38,025 units for a 5-month total down 8% to 189,552.

Second-place Renault saw its May sales edge up fractionally to 18,576 units from 18,503 a year earlier, and were up 13% year-to-date to 85,784. Kia eked out a 1% gain to 17,302 units for a 5-month total up 5% to 77,329.

Chevrolet stayed in fifth place despite a 34% tumble in May deliveries to 12,856 units that left its result down 13% to 65,345 on the year. Ford ranked ninth with a 17% drop to 9,153 units and a year-to-date total off 18% to 41,442.

Deliveries by the AvtoVAZ-Renault Nissan alliance tumbled 18% in May to 67,672 units, and its 5-month result was down 5% to 333,841.

Volkswagen Group fell 8% for the month to 25,649 units, giving a year-to-date total down 3% to 119,296.

The General Motors group outperformed its Chevrolet brand overall, despite a 28% slide in May sales to 19,357 units for a year-to-date result down 8% to 99,128.

Apart from, Chevrolet, Opel deliveries slid 15% in May to 6,376 units, but remained up 3% from year-ago to 33,107. Cadillac retreated 31% to 125 units and was down 31% to 676 for the year thus far.

The Lada Granta was Russia’s top-selling model, jumping 47% in May to 12,471 units and ahead 84% year-to-date to 67,236.

Hyundai’s Solaris followed, up 39 units from like-2012 to 10,493 units, but down 4% to 46,434 after five months. Kia’s New Rio was third with a 2% uptick to 7,979 units and a 6% improvement after five months to 36,189.

The Ford Focus was the sixth-best selling model, declining 23% in May to 5,942 units for a 5-month total down 22% to 28,220. Chevrolet’s Niva ranked ninth, slipping 24% to 3,975 units and off 11% year-to-date to 21,723.

The big gainer was the Renault Duster cross/utility vehicle, which captured fifth place after surging 116% in May to 7,231 units for a 5-month total up 340% to 33,176.